Orlando Sentinel

Players delay vote on latest MLB proposal

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An email from baseball Commission­er Rob Manfred to union head Tony Clark, above, led to a balk in the drawn-out talks to start the pandemic-delayed season.

The executive committee of the players’ associatio­n was set to vote and reject Major League Baseball’s latest offer for a 60-game season on Sunday.

Players want 70 games and $275 million more than teams are offering. They are worried that if a resurgence of the new coronaviru­s causes the 2020 season to be cut short, the deal being negotiated would lock in innovation­s for 2021 and lessen the union’s bargaining power.

Manfred wrote that if fewer than the agreed-upon number of games are played this year, the 2021 changes would be voided in a manner that would leave them up for renegotiat­ion, The Associated Press reported.

Players didn’t take a vote and will consider their next move.

Among the items in the proposed deal for 2020 and 2021 are expanded playoffs, use of the designated hitter in games involving National League teams and allowing advertisem­ents on uniforms. The 2020 only items include starting extra innings with runner on second and a discussion of whether to allow tie games after a specified total of innings plus player re-entry in extra innings.

Some players would prefer there not be a deal and that Manfred unilateral­ly order the schedule. Because players have insisted on full prorated pay, he has threatened a schedule of about 50 games.

The proposed deal would give Manfred the right to suspended or cancel play if “restrictio­ns on travel throughout the United States are imposed” or if he determines after consulting medical experts and the union that there has been a change in circumstan­ces posing “an unreasonab­le health and safety risk to players or staff to stage those games, even without fans in attendance.”

MLB’s proposal for 60 games includes $1.48 billion in salary plus a $25 million postseason players’ pool, while the union’s plan includes $1.73 billion in salary and a $50 million pool.

Absent an agreement, the union would file a grievance claiming MLB violated the provision in the March 26 agreement recognizin­g “that each of the parties shall work in good faith to as soon as is practicabl­e commence, play, and complete the fullest 2020 championsh­ip season and post-season that is economical­ly feasible,” subject to several provisions.

Those provisions say that without MLB’s consent, the season shall not start until there are no legal restrictio­ns on playing in front of fans at the 30 regularsea­son ballparks, no relevant travel restrictio­ns and no health or safety risk to players, staff or spectators to playing in the 30 regular ballparks.

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