:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66908484/597518304.jpg.0.jpg)
MLB has once again made a proposal to the Players Association for a 2020 season. After the two sides were far apart in initial proposals — with the players wanting full prorated salaries for more than 100 games, and the owners wanting the players to take massive, tiered paycuts for an 82-game season — MLB attempted to bridge the gap.
Wait, no, that’s not right. MLB attempted to make it look like they were bridging the gap. Yes, that’s more accurate.
The league’s counter proposal is for a 76-game season with 75% of the prorated salaries, and postseason compensation.
MLB has made proposal to Players. 75 percent Prorated salary. 76 game season. Playoff pool money. No draft pick compensation for signing player. Season finishes September 27th. Post season ends at end of October. Significant move towards players demands and effort to play more.
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 8, 2020
At first glance that might seem like a significant step towards the middle. But it’s not. It’s really just MLB committing to paying the players the same amount of money they’ve been offering the entire time, in all of their plans. They’re just putting a new jacket on it this time so that it looks different.
- 82 games at sliding scale = ~33% salary
— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) June 8, 2020
- 50 games at prorated pay = ~33% salary
- 76 games at 75% prorated pay = (drumroll) ~33% salary
It all comes back to the same place. MLB keeps making the same offer in different forms. https://t.co/DVfURfN50f
The players could stand to make a little bit more money with the newest proposal, if a postseason ends up being feasible. But it’s a small enough sum of money (relatively) that it really doesn’t move the needle at all.
Original offer: 82 games, players receive $1.03B in salary and $200M if playoffs are played.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 8, 2020
Current offer: 76 games, players receive $989M in salary and $443M if playoffs are played, plus no direct draft-pick compensation.
48-game option: $1.03B in salary, no playoff money
Easiest way to look at MLB's current offer: Best-case, the players would receive $1.432 billion. A 57-game season at full pro rata salaries would be $1.4319 billion. Factoring in the lack of draft-pick comp, estimated worth $50-100M, would move it to 59 to 61 games full pro rata.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 8, 2020
Given all that’s transpired in the roughly three months since the coronavirus put the MLB season on hold, nothing should shock us about MLB owners. Still, it’s a little surprising to see them take time to hear feedback about their proposal, and see the Players Association’s counterproposal, and then respond by essentially retweeting themselves. Do they think the players have magically changed their minds in the last week or two? Because that doesn’t seem likely, and the social media reactions back that up.
Lol
— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) June 8, 2020
that’s cute
— Jack Flaherty (@Jack9Flaherty) June 8, 2020
— Travis Shaw (@travis_shaw21) June 8, 2020
With every day that no deal is reached, not only is the chance of a 2020 season diminished, but the length of a potential season is shortened. The clock is ticking in a big way, even if the people at the top are still projecting confidence that we’ll have some form of a season, even if it’s one that has long-lasting repercussions.
One high-ranking official today said, in no uncertain terms: “There will be baseball.” The question is: Will it be with the sides agreeing to a deal or with the league implementing a 48-game schedule, no expanded playoffs and almost certainly a grievance filed by the union?
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 8, 2020