The players union has responded to the economic proposal MLB owners handed over last Tuesday. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and later The Athletic’s Evan Drellich reported in a series of tweets last night that the MLBPA delivered a counter to the league on Sunday afternoon, calling for the following:
- A 114-game season that would begin on June 30th and end on October 31st
- Opt-out for all players if they don’t want to play this season
- Potential deferral of salaries by teams if the 2020 postseason were to be cancelled
- Expanded playoff format for the 2020 and 2021 seasons
My first thought right off the bat with this plan is that 114 games are A LOT to be played between June 30th and October 31st. Maybe it’s part of the negotiation tactic on the side of the players to aim high, but I would expect that total number to drop. Many owners think that more games would not only result in higher operating costs, but put a lucrative postseason TV deal in jeopardy due to a second wave of COVID-19 that many think will hit in the fall. Because of those reasons, and the fact that you need to throw some off-days into the schedule, I don’t think a realistic proposal features much more than the originally suggested 82 games.
With regards to the White Sox, one interesting aspect of this latest plan is the call for an expanded postseason in both 2020 and 2021. This new format would mean that 14 teams make the playoffs instead of the normal 10, if previous reports hold true. It’s hard to say how owners will feel about allowing this for 2021 but if it can withstand negotiations, more clubs in the postseason can only bode well for the South Siders. While this year it will probably be tough to make a run, I’m looking at this more so from a 2021 perspective when this White Sox team should be a legit contender. Either way, more teams allowed in the postseason only increases your chances of making it and anything can happen in a shortened season.
Shifting over to the deferral of salaries, this would only become a reality if the 2020 postseason gets cancelled. Passan went on to further explain the details of those and opt-outs in a series of tweets.
It is important to note that the sliding scale payment system has been completely thrown out and replaced with the prorated salaries originally agreed upon in March.
Overall, I wouldn’t get your hopes up about this proposal. The majority of owners likely feel the same way players felt when they received the original economic plan last Tuesday. Some early sources to MLB insider Jon Heyman are already indicating “no progress” has been made.
Owners and players will really need to hash it out and try to get something in motion quickly. The next seven to ten days will be crucial and likely give a strong indication of whether or not games will be played in 2020 at all.
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