And the MLB 2020 season negotiations begin

[Syd Thrift]

I’m pretty sure that the existing agreement is to pay the players their pro-rated salary with nothing taken out, and the playoffs the way they’re currently set (the players don’t make their regular salaries during the playoffs). So I’d pretty much expect the players to tell the owners they’re not interested in the “deal”, particularly not with the ultimatum attached, and see if they really want to just capitulate like that.

[dkgo]

Players get prorated salary if manfred forces a schedule. The owners want them to play more games for the same total money. garbage

[cephasjames]

MLBPA rejects latest proposal, tells MLB to schedule the season and 'tell us when and where'

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark issued a statement saying "it appears further dialogue with the league would be futile," and invited commissioner Rob Manfred to schedule however many games he sees fit.

A March agreement between MLB and the MLBPA gives Manfred the ability to unilaterally schedule a season of any length as long as the players receive full prorated salaries.

[Syd Thrift]

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Last month the MLBPA requested documents supporting MLB's financial claims and those requests were only partially met. The union believes MLB has not proven their financial situation is as dire as they've claimed, and they're unwilling to accept another round of pay reductions without evidence. As private businesses, MLB teams do not open their books.

"(Any) request for further pay cuts would be a significant challenge and would require full financial transparency (which we have not gotten) to even have a meaningful discussion," Meyer wrote in his letter.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by dkgo

Players get prorated salary if manfred forces a schedule. The owners want them to play more games for the same total money. garbage

The owners don't want the players to get any more than 33% of their salaries (that's about where every offer from them landed). I predict a 54 game season happening with regular playoffs (because the Players won't end up okaying expanded playoffs).

[GeoWar]

Couple of comments --
Major League Baseball is NOT like other professional leagues in the United States - MLB has anti-trust protection . MLB has their own player development system . MLB does support Minor League Baseball. Curt Flood help modify the Reserve Clause, he also helped bring in the 10/5 rule , many very talented players use to be controlled by a team and kept in minors because the Major League team had a player at that position . When (?) the new minor league situation is implemented it means that several teams will be losing control of Minor League player that maybe blocked .
- Money in Baseball ... Market size matters . Development of team name recognition matters . Team image matters . When the Yankees were owned by CBS the team on the field suffered . The National Media revenue is a large part but in a situation like now MLB is still receiving revenue AND the Players Assn. is receiving revenue. Local Media revenue is completely different, but Royals crowd is always bigger when the Yankees- Red Sox - Dodgers come to town and I should include Cardinals (due to in state). Gates just check stadium size. And that is one reason for Pro-rated player salaries ( teams have to pay for stadium upkeep and workers regardless of current limits on seating ).

[TheMaus2]

I'm sure no one is upset with pro-rated player salaries- hell, the players even agreed to give their salaries up to the owners at the start of negotiations to get a deal done, but the owners have fought for more and more of the money this season. I get that this will be a down year for the league as a whole, but no MLB owner is going to go broke over eating costs on financing this year, especially when you could just sell the team. It's on the owners to meet the players halfway on this.

[Syd Thrift]

This whole “okay players, you’d rather play a longer season than 50 games... how about we play 76 but still only pay you for 50???” ploy was so, so dumb right from the start, it could have only been hatched by MLB owners. I think everyone expects Manfred to hand down a 50 game season now (with regular sized playoffs because that’s what they agreed to do) and if the owners try to chintz out of playing the pro-rated salaries, the players will file a grievance.

All in advance of labor negotiations that are due to kick off after the 2021 season. Get ready for stoppages...

[Boomcoach]

I think at this point, both sides are happy with Manfred making the decision, so that neither side looks like they "caved".

[cephasjames]

Rob Manfred 'not confident' there will be a 2020 MLB season

MLB owners held a conference call Monday afternoon to discuss their options for 2020. My guess is the owners are on the verge of calling the season. It's already known that some of them are okay with no season. Maybe more have jumped on board that idea. Thus, Manfred backtracking on the 100% chance there will be a season only a week after making the comment.

[TheMaus2]

embarrassing.

[mitchkenn]

let's see, no season this year - a real possibility ... then the CBA expiring the next year and a strike to follow? is baseball really TRYING to destroy itself? heck, it's gonna take another McGwire/Sosa home run epic to bring fans back from this debacle.

[low]

Imagine being so bad that people actually want Bud Selig back. Yes, the owners are scumbags, but I'm pretty certain that Manfred just hates baseball.

[neugey]

If there ends up being no games played this year and Manfred ends up being dead wrong on his 100% sure of games being played, he absolutely and positively must be fired on principle. You cannot do that terrible of a job of setting expectations and remain the face of the league.

[dkgo]

So the players tell manfred to go ahead and use his authority to schedule the season, then he says he might not schedule a season

and idiots across the internet still think this is a "both sides" issue

[TheMaus2]

Manfred is there to do the work of the owners, tbf

[cephasjames]

It is a both sides issue. Just not equally. Neither side is winning more supporters with this back and forth.

One side being worse than the other doesn't mean the lesser of the two is smelling like roses. Both sides stink in how they're handling this. The owners just stink worse.

[dkgo]

So the only way for the players not to stink is to let themselves get railroaded by lying billionaires?

[cephasjames]

So the players only ever had two choices: get railroaded or tell the owners to stuff it? No other options at all?

The players made a small move toward compromise with their proposal of fewer games than originally asked for, but they still dug their feet in and may very well be complicit in this season not happening. To think that they are innocent and only the owners are to blame is a bit shortsighted.

[Syd Thrift]

The owners told them they didn't want to talk anymore and handed down an ultimatum. The players said "okay, we will choose option A". Were they supposed to ignore the fact that the owners told them to come to a final conclusion by Sunday and keep "negotiating"? How do you think that would have ended?