Yank prez Levine urges two sides to re-engage to save season

Hours after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred seemed to deflate all hopes of baseball having a 2020 season after the coronavirus pandemic hiatus, Yankees president Randy Levine was trying to breathe some life back into the negotiations.

Saying that the financial issues the players and owners have been publicly arguing over the last few weeks are largely decided, Levine called on the union to re-engage in negotiations about health and safety.

“Everyone here wants to get down to business as soon as possible and play games. From what I’ve discovered, the holdup is not about the number of games or money at this time,” Levine said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. “The commissioner has the right under the March agreement to schedule the games as long as the players are paid 100% prorated. The holdup, as I understand it, is about resolving the other items in the March 26 agreement.”

The other items are not just testing and cleaning protocols

to try and help keep players and staff safe, it also includes how to deal with the predicted second wave of the virus that could hit in the fall. The virus, which shut down baseball on March 12 and has suspended the regular season over 15 weeks now, has killed over 118,000 Americans.

There are also issues about pay and service time for players who opt not to play a coronavirus-shortened season.

“So what I believe needs to happen is that the parties need to get together as soon as possible to resolve those issues so we can get the season going,” said Levine who was MLB’s chief labor negotiator from 1995-97. “All 30 clubs want to play. The commissioner wants to play. The players want to play. So let’s get these issues solved so we can begin playing baseball. The March agreement said the players would negotiate these issues. The commissioner has assured me he’s ready to do so. The players should get in a room and start negotiating so we can get going.”

Monday night, Manfred seemed to sound the death knell for the 2020 season with a dramatic flip flop. On

Wednesday before the amateur draft, Manfred had said “100%” there would be a baseball season. Monday night, on ESPN, Manfred walked that back. He said the season was at risk because MLB believed that union was heading toward filing a grievance which could end up costing a billion dollars in back pay.

The league and union agreed to a deal in March that gave the players $170 million in advanced salary and Manfred control to start the season paying the players prorated salaries.

The players, who will not move off the salary concessions they made in the March agreement, last offered an 89game schedule beginning July 10 and gave the owners the expanded playoffs they want not just for 2020, but also next year as well.

MLB has tried to renegotiate that deal citing the fact they will be unable to allow fans into ballparks because of the virus for much of the season, claiming the prorated salaries would be too expensive. MLB’s last proposal was for a 72-game season beginning July 14 that would allow the players to earn approximately 70% of their prorated salary if the postseason is played to completion.

The union shot that down immediately and responded with a statement that ended by saying they were ready to play, and demanded Manfred tell them when and where.

Instead, on Monday, Manfred sounded the alarm on the season.

“I’m not confident. I think there’s real risk, and as long as there’s no dialogue, that real risk is going to continue,” Manfred said when asked on ESPN if he is certain there will be a season.