June has arrived and the MLB season is nowhere in sight. However, there is still hope after the MLB Players’ Association submitted their proposal to the owners on Sunday with their preferred terms for the season.
Of course, the union’s proposal looks nothing like the one the owners proposed last week that was quickly met with disgust from players. Nevertheless, a proposal from the Players’ Association could help jumpstart negotiations to save the season as things are starting to look bleak for baseball in 2020.
The players’ proposal is highlighted by a 114-game regular season that would run from June 30 to October 31. That season is considerably longer than the 82-game season suggested by the owners and could be a non-starter for the league.
Players remain steadfastly against renegotiating a March agreement that will pay them a prorated salary based on the number of games played. Thus, they are proposing more games to help boost their salaries while also creating more games to bring in revenue.
Players Hope to Compromise with Ideas to Help Revenue
The players are also making several suggestions to help increase revenue for the owners. The union’s plan calls for two years of an expanded postseason.
The players are also on board with wearing microphones during games to help enhance broadcasts. They are also offering to hold an All-Star Game and Home Run Derby during the offseason to help generate more revenue.
However, the players are not going to back off on receiving a prorated salary. The owners previously floated the idea of a 50-50 revenue-sharing plan, but it was publicly bashed by players.
The league also formally submitted a sliding scale for salaries that would have cost the highest-paid players a significant chunk of their 2020 salary. Players were quick to dismiss that idea and have spent the past few days putting together their own proposal.
The Players’ Association proposal also calls for a $100 million salary advance for the players to split during the second round of spring training that would precede the start of the season. At the same time, the players are willing to accept salary deferrals for players who make more than $10 million per season if the postseason is canceled.
The union’s plan also calls for players with pre-existing conditions or who have family members who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 having the option to sit out the season and receive a salary. Meanwhile, players who are not considered high risk would also have the choice to sit out the season without receiving a salary.
Now both players and fans will sit back and wait for the response from the owners. While the players have proposed some good ideas and made some concessions, the owners aren’t likely to agree to everything laid out by the Players’ Association.
The hope is that the players have done enough to jumpstart negotiations. While there is lingering optimism that the sides will reach an agreement and prevent the season from being canceled over money, the truth is that time is starting to run out, and the players and owners don’t appear to be particularly close agreeing on a plan for baseball in 2020.
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