MLB Owners Make More Serious Return to Play Offer… and Players Reportedly Hate This One Too
The mood surrounding the state of “return to play” affairs for Major League Baseball, has darkened recently. Days have gone by and negotiations between the MLB owners and MLBPA have unravelled, deepening the riff between the two factions. I was starting to worry about whether we would see the Minnesota Twins play baseball at all in 2020…
But then….. huge news started dropping this morning, by way of MLB insider Jon Heyman’s twitter account.
MLB has made a new proposal to players. They are trying to get a deal done.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
The new MLB proposal Is for 76 games
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
In new MLB proposal season would begin about July 10. The delays cost the July 4 start.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
Season Length
Wow… so there is a lot to go over here and news on this proposal will continue to drop over the next few hours, I’m sure. The proposal for 76 games, seems to be what the MLB had offered last week (82 games), minus the one extra week of negotiations.
That extra week would also cost them a 4th of July weekend start… which will now be moved to July 10. The major differences though, are marked in the money (of course).
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
MLB seems to have made decent move. 75% of salaries plus no draft pick compensation this offseason for the first time in 45 years
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
New MLB offer is for 25% paycut for players rather than 40%. Also not a sliding scale. Players preferred to avoid the sliding scale/progressive cut and MLB listened.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
Money, Money, Money…
The MLB owners are now offering 75% of salaries across the board, which is much closer to the original agreement, signed right after the coronavirus shutdown. Their last offer was a tiered system they knew would be thrown out by the players.
In last week’s proposal from the owners to the MLBPA, the players took 40% total cut in salaries. The structure of the pay cuts involved the highest-paid stars in the league, taking the biggest brunt of revenue loss, which made no sense to anyone. This is a much more feasible and serious offer.
Last week’s squabbling however, wasn’t the first conversation the two sides had. Why will this deal get done when others haven’t moved the needle? It doesn’t apparently. Jon Heyman’s last tweet tells us why the owners think it should. Signing off on this deal, would make the players more money than even the best deal would, should they decide to wait. But, the players clearly don’t see it that way…
Under this proposal each player earns ~19% more under this offer than if forced to play a shorter season at 100% of prorated salaries
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 8, 2020
The MLBPA regards todayโs offer from MLB to be worse than the leagueโs last because it shifts greater emphasis on risk sharing in the postseason. Players would receive 50 percent of pro rata if there is no postseason, 75 if there is. @karlravechespn first on a new offer coming.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 8, 2020
MLBโs first offer to the union included about $1 billion in regular season and another $200 million in postseason. This offer basically doubles amount of postseason money, to more than $400 million. MLB points to potential total dollars as improvement. Union sees other factors.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 8, 2020
DO NOT SCREW THIS UP.
Now I say this to both the MLB owners and the MLBPA and its players… Please… do not screw this up. I need the Minnesota Twins in my life, right now. My life is empty without sports. Is it selfish that I am thinking of myself, when others have much more important things to be worried about?
Yes…. but Karl Ravich makes me feel better about the situation. He says baseball is coming back. It’s just a matter of when and how many regular season games.
Yes. Extremely. https://t.co/8WQxLeiumE
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 6, 2020
According to sources this equates to roughly 200 million more in player salaries. The 50 game season is not a threat rather a negotiated right. Hopefully this spurs further dialogue, if not we will play a short season
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 8, 2020
Eric Strack | Minnesota sports Fan
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