MLB tells players at most 60 games; 50 or fewer possible

NEW YORK » The players’ association was told by Major League Baseball on Friday teams will not agree to more than 60 games in the pandemic-delayed season, leaving open the possibility of an even shorter schedule of perhaps 50 games or fewer.

While the NBA and NHL have found ways to restart their sports, baseball has been unable to cope with the economic dislocation because of the new coronavirus and the prospect of playing in empty ballparks, reverting to the fractious labor strife that led to eight work stoppages from 1972-95. With time slipping away, the sport will have at best its shortest schedule since the dawn of professional baseball in the 1870s.

Complicating any possible resumption, the Phillies and Toronto closed their training sites in Florida and San Francisco shut down its facility in Arizona following positive tests for COVID-19 or symptoms that could indicate the disease.

Texas also shut its camp in Arizona, saying no players or staff had tested positive but that it wanted to expand its testing protocols.

Players and MLB are increasingly dismayed with each other and appear headed to a spring training lockout in 2022. Still, they agree on one novelty: MLB’s latest proposal this week include starting extra innings with a runner on second base, and the union’s counter-proposal said that would be acceptable for 2020 only, in the event of an agreement.

Commissioner Rob Manfred flew to Arizona and met with union head Tony Clark for five hours on Tuesday in an effort to end the fighting and strike a deal. Manfred said the next day the sides had reached a framework for a 60-game regular season schedule and the full prorated pay that players had demanded.

But Clark refused to call it a framework and said his eightplayer executive subcommittee rejected it. The union countered with a 70-game schedule as part of a proposal that left the sides about $275 million apart.

“MLB has informed the association that it will not respond to our last proposal and will not play more than 60 games,” the union said in a statement. “Our executive board will convene in the near future to determine next steps. Importantly, players remain committed to getting back to work as soon as possible.”

Absent an agreement, Manfred has the right to announce a schedule of any he length MLB chooses, but the union has threatened a grievance claiming it would not meet the sides’ agreement that requires “the fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is economically feasible” and consistent with additional provisions.

Both sides envision opening day on July 19 or 20, and a need first for three days of testing and three weeks of training. That leaves only a few days for a deal that would allow pitchers and catchers to start workouts next weekend.