MLB commissioner Rob Manfred declared Wednesday that “we’re going to play baseball in 2020 – 100 percent”.
Manfred doubled down on his guarantee a day after the players sent a counter proposal to the owners requesting an 89-game schedule with full pro-rated pay.
“We’re going to play baseball in 2020 – 100%,” Manfred said during the draft preview show on MLB Network. “If it has to be under the March 26 agreement, if we get to that point in the calendar, so be it. But one way or the other, we’re playing Major League Baseball.”
Manfred is alluding to the part in the March deal which empowers him to start the season on his own, along with setting the number of games, if he chooses to pay the players their 100% prorated salaries.
It’s the bazooka in the pocket Manfred’s been carrying around throughout the negotiations.
There’s two sticking points in these negotiations. The players want their full prorated salaried (from the March agreement). They also want the owners to backup their claim of economic distress. The likely reality of playing ballgames without fans means the owners will get take a hit on gate-related revenue.
Both sides have struggled to find enough common ground for a deal to return to the field, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
MLB submitted a second official proposal Monday morning to the union. The bullet points include a 76-game season starting July 10 that will pay players 75% of their salaries if there’s a postseason. 24 hours later, the union countered with an 89-game proposal, with full prorated pay.
If MLB and the player’s union don’t reach a deal, the repercussions for the sport could be insurmountable.
In recent weeks, the NBA and NHL have worked their way through respective return-to-play formats. The thought of Major League Baseball remaining on the sidelines this summer, over money, will enrage an already-frustrated fan base.
The latest counter-proposal from the players is expected to be rejected by the owners. Time is ticking away for MLB and the players. It’s now a matter of if Manfred’s truly ready to pull the trigger on his bazooka.
