proposal

Over the weekend, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA)  turned down the MLB’s proposal to kick off the 2020 season. The official rejection further increases the rift between the two organizations.

We won’t be playing ball anytime soon. The proposal presented to the MLBA recommended a 72-game season, with an 80% prorated pay. This is not the first time the MLB has submitted a proposal to the MLBPA. Beginning in May, the MLB requested an 82 game season, with a sliding salary scale, and then in early June, 76 games with a 75% prorated pay. No proposal has yet to stick.

What will make the two come to an agreement? Ultimately it will come down to the owners agreeing on paying the prorated salaries for the number of games. As of this weekend, there has been no counter-proposal planned.

The MLB released the following statement: “We are disappointed that the MLBPA has chosen not to negotiate in good faith over the resumption of play after MLB has made three successive proposals that would provide players, Clubs and our fans with an amicable resolution to a very difficult situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the MLB is able to pull together a proposal that MLBPA can agree on, baseball could return by mid-July. However, even if Baseball was up and running by then, it’s still unclear how the MLB will go about COVID-19 health and safety procedures.