No season possible; players test positive for virus
Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The league also said several players have tested positive for COVID19.
Two days after union head Tony Clark declared additional negotiations futile, Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem sent a sevenpage letter to union negotiator Bruce Meyer asking the union whether it will waive the threat of legal action and tell MLB to announce a spring training report date and a regular season schedule.
These were just the latest escalating volleys in a sport viewing disagreements over starting the season as a preliminary battle ahead of bargaining to replace the labor contract that expires on Dec. 1, 2021.
“It’s just a disaster for our game, absolutely no question about it,” Manfred said during an appearance on ESPN that included the heads of the other major U.S. sports leagues. “It shouldn’t be happening, and it’s important that we find a way to get past it and get the game back on the field.”
Spring training halted because of the pandemic on March 12, two weeks before Opening Day, and the sides reached agreement on March 26 on how to revise their labor deal to account for the virus.
Since then, the hostility has escalated to 1990s levels as the sides exchanged offers. MLB claims teams can’t afford to play without fans and pay the prorated salaries called for in the March deal, which included a provision for “goodfaith” negotiations over the possibility of games in empty ballparks or neutral sites.
“The proliferation of COVID19 outbreaks around the country over the last week, and the fact that we already know of several 40man roster players and staff who have tested positive, has increased the risks associated with commencing spring training in the next few weeks,” Halem wrote in his letter to Meyer, which was obtained by the AP.
Halem sent Meyer a letter with a sarcastic tone Friday accompanying MLB’s latest offer, and Meyer responded with a hostile tone Saturday as the sides memorialized positions ahead of a possible grievance before the panel chaired by independent arbitrator Mark Irvings. Halem’s letter Monday asked the union for clarifications of its positions.
Clark had issued a statement Saturday that told MLB: “It’s time to get back to work. Tell us when and where.” The union then said it might file a grievance seeking additional economic documents and money damages that could total $1 billion or more.
“Players are disgusted that after Rob Manfred unequivocally told players and fans that there would ‘100%’ be a 2020 season, he has decided to go back on his word and is now threatening to cancel the entire season,” Clark said in a statement Monday.
“This latest threat is just one more indication that Major League Baseball has been negotiating in bad faith since the beginning,” Clark added. “This has always been about extracting additional pay cuts from players and this is just another day and another bad faith tactic in their ongoing campaign.”
Manfred said ahead of last week’s draft that the chance of a season was “100%.” He reversed his position Monday.
“I’m not confident,” he said on ESPN. “I think there’s real risk; and as long as there’s no dialogue, that real risk is going to continue.”
Signings: Righthanded starter Ty Weber, a senior from the University of Illinois, announced on Instagram that he has signed with the Giants. Weber was 20 with a 1.31 ERA in four starts for the Illini before his senior season ended because of the coronavirus . ... The A's signed catcher Cooper Uhl, a senior from Loyola Marymount. He went 22for61 (.361) in 16 games this season. His career average was .254 . ... Cal outfielder Brandon McIlwain signed with the Mets. McIlwain, who played quarterback for the Bears in 2018, hit .200 in 15 games this season after hitting .258 in 2019. Chronicle staff contributed
to this report.