It seems like Major League Baseball and its players are far apart as it relates to an agreement to start the 2020 season.
2020 MLB season
The latest indication is that owners turned down the players’ recent offer and don’t plan on responding any time soon. At issue here are prorated salaries on top of further salary reduction for players in the face of a season that would more than likely be played without fans in attendance. MLB continues to cry poor when it comes to potential revenue losses under that scenario.
Apparently, we might now have some good news on this front. According to Cincinnati Reds President Dick Williams, “both sides want to play” and an agreement is “very close.”
This would go against everything we’ve heard in the media over the past several weeks. More than anything, it seems like finances have played a role in the divide between the two sides since the season itself was suspended back in March.
Sports returning amid COVID-19 pandemic
With the NBA and NHL nearing return-to-play plans, Major League Baseball must do everything possible to make sure it can play this year. Finances holding up a return to the season during the ongoing pandemic would be a bad look for both sides.
2020 MLB season plan
The hope is that spring training 2.0 can start at some point this month with the regular season getting going in July. Whether it’s a 50-game season, 82-game season or a schedule in the triple digits, the two sides must band together and push this past the finish line.
Unlike the NHL and NBA, the plan around the Major League Baseball world is for teams to play the season in their home stadiums. Nothing pandemic-related over the past few weeks has changed that. Some teams will conduct spring training 2.0 in their local regions. Others will head to either Florida or Orlando.