If you want to know why MLB and the MLBPA are struggling to reach an agreement on the finances involved to play the 2020 season, the lack of trust is the basic explanation.
That’s been illustrated in many ways so far, but the biggest way is regarding the actual data owners are leaning on to justify their demands that the players give up some salary. The MLBPA has questioned the reliability of those figures and asked the owners to turn over that data. This has not happened thus far.
That has frustrated players immensely. In fact, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, some players are so convinced that the owners are hiding behind inaccurate figures that they would welcome the opportunity to file a grievance and bet they will be proven right.
At the root of the problem is that players don’t believe owners claim of 640K loss per regular year game w/o fans. Players suspect owners make $ per game, even w/o fans — huge disparity. Some players relish the ability to grieve and possibility owners books may prove them right.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 12, 2020
To be clear, no grievance appears to be coming. The two sides are still trading proposals, and the latest one gets a bit closer to what the players want. Even if a deal is struck, the distrust between the two sides runs deep, and that could have long-term consequences no matter how this is resolved.
