EXPECT BOTH SIDES TO PLAY BALL
MLB and players’ union are fighting over salaries, but solution undoubtedly will be found
PHOENIX — Everyone take a deep breath, exhale slowly and chill.
There will be a Major League Baseball season in 2020.
Forget all the rhetoric, vitriol and nastiness between MLB and the Players Association during these first few days of negotiations.
A feud between these sides over economics has been going on for the past half-century.
Don’t believe that while every other major sport — including baseball leagues in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan — are figuring out ways to play games during the pandemic, MLB will sit this one out. They will play.
The season may start later in July and not on the July 4th weekend as hoped.
But it is happening.
There’s too much money at stake, and everyone knows it.
Oh sure, players are seething at MLB’s proposal this week that would slash the biggest stars’ salaries by nearly 60% of their original salary playing an 82-game season. And guess what?
The owners will be just as livid at the union’s counterproposal by the end of this week that refuses to reduce their prorated salary, perhaps demanding they play at least 100 games with the regular season extending into October instead of ending Sept. 27.
Washington Nationals Cy Young pitcher Max Scherzer fired a shot late Wednesday night when he tipped off the union’s stance:
“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there’s no need to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions,” Scherzer said on Twitter. “We have previously negotiated a pay cut in the version of prorated salaries, and there’s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received.
“I’m glad to hear other players voicing the same viewpoint. MLB’s economic strategy would completely change if all documentation were to become public information.”
And that came hours after Cincinnati Reds star pitcher Trevor Bauer ripped Scherzer’s agent, Scott Boras, on Twitter, accusing him of being a destructive influence in negotiations.
“Hearing a LOT of rumors about a certain player agent meddling in MLBPA affairs,’’ Bauer said. “If true — and at this point, these are only rumors — I have one thing to say... Scott Boras, rep your clients however you want to, but keep your damn personal agenda out of union business.”
MLB and the union, which may not be able to stand the sight of one another at this moment, still are business partners and will resolve their economic issues.
MLB will remind the union that owners will lose about $2 billion if they play regularseason games without fans in attendance. It translates into about a 40% loss of their projected revenue.
It will cost them nearly $700,000 to play regular-season games with no fans, the owners insist.
Now, they need to get the players to believe them.
The players are furious they are being asked to take another salary cut, after agreeing to a prorated salary on March 26, but the owners say that deal was based on having fans in attendance. The provision is there in black and white with Commissioner Rob Manfred having the power not to start the season without fans in the stands. The players have a different interpretation.
Yet, what is overlooked in this dispute is the issue of service time.
The union fought for players’ service time in their original agreement, and the owners consented, assuring players would receive a full year of service no matter if a game is played in 2020.
How much was that worth?
Try $600 million alone this year and billions in future earnings.
Players who are first-time arbitration eligible players receive about $300 million in increased salaries.
And those who reach free agency for the first time earn about another $300 million in annual salary raises.
It’s why the union surrendered its right for players to be paid for a full season, no matter how many games were played, realizing the value of a full year of service time.
It means you’re a year closer to salary arbitration, when your salary can jump from less than $1 million to $10 million. There were