As baseball fans desperately hope that the 2020 MLB season will be played this year, MLB might have just provided it on Monday with a new offer to players that could change months of slow negotiations.
After a week that saw both sides reject proposals for the 2020 season with hope of a deal being reached quickly dwindling, a new offer could represent a major step towards baseball’s return.
MLB offers new proposal for 2020 season
Following the latest rejection from the MLB Players Association, MLB reportedly sent a proposal for a 76-game season that would give players a higher salary than the original offer.
According to ESPN’s Karl Ravech, the offer would give players 75% of their prorated salary for the 2020 season. However, players would only receive 75% of their prorated salaries under playoff bonuses, which would require the postseason to be held.
Both sides agreed in March on a deal for players to receive prorated portions of their salaries this year based on the number of games played. In its first proposal, the league offered 82-game season, per The New York Times, but asked for a sliding pay scale. Under that structure, MLB’s highest-paid players would receive approximately an 80% pay cut and players with the rate going down based off the scale for salaries.
Under the new proposal, MLB would eliminate six more games and give players 75% of their prorated salary. Players would also receive playoff pool bonuses with MLB expanding its playoff format in 2020 and 2021.
According to ESPN, the 2020 MLB season would finish on Sept. 27 with the playoffs ending in October.
MLB Players Association responds to latest offer
While MLB’s latest proposal looks like an improvement, it reportedly isn’t being received well by players. According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, the latest proposal is viewed as worse than the previous offer with only 50% of the prorated salaries guaranteed.
As a result, players would be at risk of receiving even less money this year if the postseason is canceled due to the coronavirus. It also represents a staggering difference from the offer sent by the MLBPA, which MLB quickly rejected, for a 114-game regular season with salaries fully prorated.
At this point, the 2020 MLB season start in early July is out of the question. The best-case scenario at this point, even for a 50-game season, might be baseball returning in August.