No deal yet as union puts another proposal on table
Money, season length remain key obstacles
The good news is that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are talking, perhaps even negotiating.
The bad news also might be that these two sides — who would fight while planning a one-car funeral procession — are talking, perhaps even negotiating.
The latest chapter in this neverending, hair-splitting and headacheinducing saga unfolded Thursday when the MLBPA submitted a counter-proposal to the league and its owners, one that included a 70game season and thus an additional $250 million in player salaries.
While the deal might seem reasonable enough on the surface, immediate reaction to it from the owners side was negative, with that group believing MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark already had
consummated a deal during face-to-face talks in Arizona on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“This needs to be over,” Manfred told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Until I speak with the owners, I can’t give you a firm deadline.’’
Manfred also told Nightengale: “I don’t know what Tony and I were doing there for several hours going back and forth and making trades if we weren’t reaching an agreement.”
The players union clearly did not share that belief, viewing the 60-game plan that was batted around Wednesday as a starting point, quickly countering it with a proposal of its own.
For anyone keeping score at home — and if you are, please do something else — we’ve now seen seven proposals made, with four from the league, three from the players, and baseball fans everywhere on the losing end.
This proposal — with details provided by national baseball writers such as Ken Rosenthal (Athletic), Jeff Passan (ESPN), Bob Nightengale (USA Today) and Jon Heyman (MLB Network)— includes plenty of stuff that makes sense.
The use of the designated hitter in both leagues in 2020 and 2021. Expanded playoffs from 10 to 16 teams during that same time period, as well the ability for owners to put ads on uniforms. A group of younger, lower-earning players netting $33 million in loan forgiveness tied to the $170 million all players received per the March 26 agreement between the two sides.
Under the union’s latest proposal, both MLB and the MLBPA would waive their rights to potential grievances, while they would have to figure out neutral site/quarantine procedures for the 2020 postseason.
Opt-outs remain the same; it would be OK for someone deemed “high-risk” or a player living with someone who’s “high-risk” to sit out. He would still be paid and receive service time.
There would also be broadcast enhancements such as players wearing microphones and special events, plus a $10 million contribution toward social justice initiatives.
As far as the postseason, the players’ proposal calls for $50 million in playoff bonuses and a 50/50 split of new postseason revenues in 2021.
It will be interesting to see where this goes, as the owners theoretically must either accept the players’ proposal — which doesn’t sound likely — or, at minimum, counter it.
If they don’t, the players could revert back to where they were over the weekend, when they dared Manfred to implement a season. That would likely fall in the 50 -game range, and it would preserve the players’ right to file a grievance.
The most likely scenario includes a counter of around 65 games, which would take total salaries from roughly $1.51 billion to $1.63 billion, an increase of $120 million. (The 70-game plan features player salaries totaling $1.76 billion, which is how you get the $250 million gap.)
“We delivered to Major League Baseball [Thursday] a counterproposal based on a 70-game regular season which, among a number of issues, includes expanded playoffs for both 2020 and 2021,” Clark said. “We believe this offer represents the basis for an agreement on resumption of play.”
No one could ever accuse this negotiating process as being boring. Or sane.
Manfred and Clark met for the first time in 10 days on Tuesday, then seemingly went their separate ways thinking two completely different things. Manfred believed they had a deal. Clark thought it was the players’ turn to send something back.
The players’ version of the season would start on July 19 and run through Sept. 30, with spring training starting around June 26-28, per national reports. Many teams, including the Pirates, would train at home.
Getting something done might also be incumbent on the owners moving enough money around to feel OK about playing 70 games. Perhaps they can reignite talks of deferrals or there’s some wiggle room with the playoff stuff.
However, as the clock ticks, both sides should think about where they’re at, what they’re doing and hopefully remember that this is a negotiation, a compromise.
“We want to play,” Manfred said. “We want to reach an agreement . ... We’re doing everything necessary to find a way to play, hopefully by agreement.’’