Major League Baseball’s proposal features a 72-game schedule with a slightly increased salary compensation.
The latest proposal in the tug-of-war between the MLB and MLBPA reportedly features a 72-game season with players collecting 80-85% of their salaries (an increase from previous league proposals), per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
This reported counteroffer comes after the latest proposal by the MLBPA — which included an 89-game season and full prorated salaries for the players — was turned away by the league. This arms race of sorts has left Major League Baseball scrambling to put together a season after the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement.
While other professional sports leagues have begun commencing return-to-play plans and possess concrete start dates, the MLB and MLBPA are still engaging in a back-and-forth revolving around how much of the player’s salaries will be paid.
Through all of the conflict, the MLBPA has stood strong on its position, supporting full prorated salaries for its representatives. Still, Rob Manfred remains optimistic for a 2020 season, telling ESPN’s Karl Ravech that he is “100% certain” the two sides will reach an agreement and begin to formulate a return plan.
With the general disagreement among the two parties, a reformatted spring training program would still need to be introduced, while hub cities for a prolonged MLB season would need to be explored as well.
All of the intangibles for a professional baseball season to occur in 2020 seem too difficult to realistically reach, but with the latest proposal’s increased salary compensation, the two sides may be inching closer to resolving their holdout and formulating a concrete return-to-play plan.
