MLB Latest Proposal
Major League Baseball has resurfaced with an updated offer to the Players Association in yet another attempt to try and get their season back on track. First reported by Karl Ravech of ESPN, the latest offer from MLB most notably features 75 percent of the players’ prorated salaries and a 76-game regular season. The season would wrap up on September 27th and the postseason would last until the end of October.
MLB has made proposal to Players. 75 percent Prorated salary. 76 game season. Playoff pool money. No draft pick compensation for signing player. Season finishes September 27th. Post season ends at end of October. Significant move towards players demands and effort to play more.
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 8, 2020
The latest proposal to play also includes the elimination of draft pick compensation for signing players. In addition to that, there would be a $200 million pool for players in the postseason.
But here’s the catch, according to Evan Drellich of the Athletic, the players would only receive 75 percent of their salaries if the postseason is played. If the playoffs don’t happen due to the threat of COVID-19, players would only receive 50 percent of their money.
The MLBPA regards today’s offer from MLB to be worse than the league’s last because it shifts greater emphasis on risk sharing in the postseason. Players would receive 50 percent of pro rata if there is no postseason, 75 if there is. @karlravechespn first on a new offer coming.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 8, 2020
MLBPA Unlikely to Accept
The fact that the MLBPA won’t budge on the idea that they want 100 percent of their prorated salaries makes this offer once again seem unlikely to be pushed through. This paired with the notion that the MLB owners are essentially taking their last offer and dressing it up a little differently.
The previous offer that the league made included a 48-game schedule for desired 100 percent of the players’ prorated salaries. This equates to roughly 30 percent of the money a player would get for a full 162-game slate. The latest offer equates to about 35 percent of a player’s full salary. The owners seem to have a set dollar amount they want to come in at and are trying to get the players to bite. Drellich also noted the players view the current offer as worse than the 48-game proposal.
The ball is now back in the MLBPA’s court. The way negotiations have gone to this point it’s beginning to seem more and more likely there may not be baseball in 2020. Both the owners and the players are working against the clock now. The threat of another COVID-19 outbreak past October remains as one of the biggest roadblocks moving forward.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
