Major League Baseball’s latest proposal to players seems to be getting a bit closer to some sort of agreement.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the league’s new proposal to the MLBPA would provide for a 72-game season. Players will receive 80 percent of their pro-rated salaries if the postseason is completed and 70 percent if it is not. Players would have the right to opt out of playing, and those assessed as being high risk would be paid even if they don’t play.
The #MLBPA receives formal proposal from #MLB on 72-game season starting July 14, with 80% guarantee of their prorated salaries with a postseason, 70% with no postseason. Deadline is Sunday for 72-game schedule. Also, 29-man rosters for the first month. Players also have opt-out.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 12, 2020
Any player can choose not to play, without pay or service time. Those high-risk players to COVID-19 would still get paid with service time.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 12, 2020
Nightengale notes that the latest offer closes the gap between MLB’s proposal and the latest offer put forward by players to $314 million.
So, if the World Series is played to its entirety, there's a $314 million difference between #MLB's proposal and what the players would earn with full pro-rated pay over 72 games. The gap is narrowing.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 12, 2020
To be clear, unless players have a change of heart, this is likely to be rejected. They are holding out for fully pro-rated salaries, but the league has stated that this would only be possible with a 50-game season. We may still be headed in that direction, but at least the proposals being exchanged seem to be moving in the right direction.
