AP photo by Darron Cummings / Cincinnati Reds teammates Tucker Barnhart, left, and Josh VanMeter talk during a workout Friday at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. Proceeds from the event will go to Reviving Baseball in the Inner City of Indianapolis.NEW YORK – Major League Baseball and its players are moving closer – to a deal or to commissioner Rob Manfred ordering a shortened season without an agreement.
MLB offered players 80% of their prorated salaries and a 72-game schedule beginning July 14 in an effort to start the pandemic-delayed 2020 season, according to details of the proposal obtained by The Associated Press. Players would get 70% of their prorated salaries during the regular season and the rest for completion of the postseason under MLB’s plan given to the union Friday.
“This represents our final proposal for a 72-game season,” MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem wrote in a letter to union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer that was obtained by the AP. “You should let us know by the end of the day on June 14 whether players desire to accept it.”
MLB teams cut their proposed schedule each time they make an offer due to the calendar, unwilling to delay the World Series past October. Because salaries are tied to games, total pay for the year decreases as time goes by.
The players’ most recent offer, on Tuesday, was for an 89-game regular season at full prorated pay. The union said it will convene a call of players to discuss its response, but players repeatedly have said they don’t intend to move off their stance for full prorated pay.