Report: MLB, MLBPA at odds over player salaries for potential shortened season

Major League Baseball has a long way toward returning in 2020, and there are clear issues that need to be sorted before it can.

One developing issue appears to be that of player salaries. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, there is increasing tension between the MLB and MLBPA over whether players should have salaries reduced due to the significant loss of revenue the league is currently experiencing.

“Right now, there’s a major disagreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association over what the financial split of the pie would be, if in fact baseball comes back,” Olney said, via Katherine Acquavella of CBS Sports. “This is an increasing concern both to management officials and to agents I’ve spoke with. Agent Scott Boras has argued that the 2020 contracts should be honored, that would be on a pro-rated basis if baseball comes back.

“On the management side, they feel like given the financial hit that baseball has taken, there needs to be some salary rollbacks. There is some increasing optimism that baseball will be played this year in some form, perhaps in front of fans, however, that can’t happen unless these two sides come out of their trenches where they are right now.”

We know that there is an agreement that salaries will be pro-rated based on how much of the season is played. The players are obviously firmly opposed to giving up any further money, as contracts are guaranteed. This is clearly a growing issue, and one that will need to be addressed before play can resume.