Major League Baseball has presented another offer to the MLB Players Association for the 2020 season.
ESPN’s Karl Ravech reported on Monday that MLB has revised its proposal to the union and is offering to play a 76-game season and pay players 75 percent of what their normal salaries would be for those games. There would also be some revenue sharing with the postseason.
MLB has made proposal to Players. 75 percent Prorated salary. 76 game season. Playoff pool money. No draft pick compensation for signing player. Season finishes September 27th. Post season ends at end of October. Significant move towards players demands and effort to play more.
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 8, 2020
MLB’s previous proposal had been for a season that is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 games, while the players want at least 82. Players already agreed to pro-rated salaries back in March, but that meant getting paid for however many games they play — not getting 75 percent of their normal salaries for those games.
According to Ravech, playing a 76-game season at 75 percent salary would equate to roughly $200 million more in player earnings as opposed to a 50-game season. Evan Drellich of The Athletic is reporting that the MLBPA thinks the latest offer from the league is worse than the previous one, as too much hinges on a postseason being played.
The MLBPA regards today’s offer from MLB to be worse than the league’s last because it shifts greater emphasis on risk sharing in the postseason. Players would receive 50 percent of pro rata if there is no postseason, 75 if there is. @karlravechespn first on a new offer coming.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 8, 2020
The MLBPA recently sent a blistering letter to team owners questioning if they even want to have a season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has the power to launch the season and decide on its length even without an agreement, but obviously neither side wants it to come to that.
