MLB owners, players revert to salary squabbles of old

NEW YORK

Baseball owners and players have reverted to form, the type displayed over the past halfcentury’s eight work stoppages filled with salary squabbles.

Players proposed to resume the sport in the coronavirus pandemic with a 114-game regular season and full prorated salaries, leaving each player with approximately 70% of their slated earnings.

That proposal was made Sunday, five days after MLB’s plan for an 82-game season with additional pay cuts that would leave each player taking in 23-47% of his original pay, with the highest earners accepting the biggest cuts.

MLB claims an additional $640,000 would be lost with each extra regular-season game played. The union has said it doesn’t believe those calculations and asked MLB for more economic documents and data.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed the next move with owners Monday.

If spring training resumes in mid-June followed by opening day in early July, a deal would have to be made by next week.

Players and clubs agreed March 26 to “complete the fullest 2020 championship season and post-season that is economically feasible,” consistent with three provisions:

– no government restrictions on playing in front of fans at regular-season ballparks

– no travel restrictions throughout U.S., Canada

– Manfred determining, after consulting with the union and medical experts, that there is no risk to players, staff or fans to play games with fans at all 30 regular-season ballparks, provided that MLB and the union “will discuss in good faith the economic feasibility of playing games in the absence of spectators or at appropriate substitute neutral sites.”