MLB plan to resume now goes to players

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball owners gave the goahead Monday to making a proposal to the players’ union that could lead to the coronavirusdelayed season starting around the July 4 weekend in ballparks without fans, a plan that envisioned expanding the designated hitter to the National League for 2020.

Spring training could start in early to midJune, a person familiar with the decision said.

MLB officials are slated to make a presentation to the union Tuesday. An agreement with the players’ association is needed, and talks are expected to be difficult.

It “feels like we’ve zoomed past the most important aspect of any MLB restart plan: health protections for players, families, staff, stadium workers and the workforce it would require to resume a season,” tweeted Washington (and former A’s) reliever Sean Doolittle. “What’s the plan to ethically acquire enough tests? … What’s the protocol if a player, staff member, or worker contracts the virus?”

Each team would play about 82 regularseason games, facing opponents in its division plus interleague matchups limited to East vs. East, Central vs. Central and West vs. West.

Postseason play would expand from 10 clubs to 14 by doubling wild cards in each league to four.

Teams would prefer to play at their regularseason ballparks but would switch to spring training stadiums or neutral sites if medical and government approvals can’t be obtained for games at home. Toronto might have to play home games in Dunedin, Fla.

Teams will propose that players receive the percentage of their 2020 salaries based on a 5050 split of revenues MLB receives during the regular season and postseason, which likely will be among the most contentious aspects of the proposal during negotiations with the players’ association.

Rosters would be expanded from 26 to around 30. With minor leagues shuttered, there likely will be the addition of about 20 players per club akin to the NFL’s practice squad.

Players and teams agreed to a deal March 26 that called for each player to receive only a portion of salary, determined by what percentage of a 162game schedule is played.

That deal is contingent there being no restrictions on mass gatherings; no relevant travel restrictions in the U.S. and Canada; and Commissioner Rob Manfred after consulting the union and medical expects, determines there is no risk to playing in front of fans at regularseason ballparks.

Manfred has said about 40% of MLB revenue is tied to gate, including concessions, parking, ballpark advertising, luxury suites and programs.

Union officials and players have cited the March 26 agreement as setting economic terms and say they have no inclination for additional cuts.