Players counter MLB plan for 2020
Optimism that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association would strike a quick, surprise deal to start the 2020 season faded almost as soon as news leaked that Commissioner Rob Manfred and union chief Tony Clark had reached an understanding.
Now, everything has tumbled back into a state of uncertainty.
The union said in a statement Thursday that it has countered the league’s proposal for a 60game schedule with an offer to play 70 games. Published reports say the counterproposal also seeks more postseason television money for players, more forgiveness of the $170 million advance that MLB provided in March (particularly for lowerpaid players) and a few other goodies.
“We believe this offer represents the basis for an agreement on resumption of play,” Clark said in the statement.
The union proposes the
70game schedule begin July 19 and end Sept. 30 ahead of a 16team postseason that would be repeated in 2021. That time frame would require some doubleheaders or a schedule with limited days off.
Both sides have agreed to the expanded playoffs, a universal designated hitter for both years, full prorated salaries (at least based on 60 games), allowing the league to add commercial logos to uniforms and an agreement to waive any arbitrated grievances.
The biggest question moving into Thursday afternoon was how receptive the league would be to a counterproposal after Manfred believed he had a “jointly developed framework” that, he said, he and Clark produced during a secret facetoface meeting in Phoenix on Tuesday.
In other words, the league felt it had a deal. The union believes otherwise.
The union has come down significantly from an initial proposal of 114 games that would last deep into October, followed by a postseason that would run into November.
The league wants a much shorter schedule because it fears a coronavirus surge could jeopardize the postseason and its lucrative television money. The owners also argue that they will lose a collective $600,000 for each day baseball is played without fans.
Any deal has to come soon if the players and league want to hit their July 19 Opening Day target. A threeweek spring training would have to begin around June 28.
Teams have said they would need about 10 days to establish the coronavirus safety protocols, prepare each facility and get the players to the sites.
Like many teams, the Giants hope to train in their home city, in their case at Oracle Park.