MLB players reject owners' offer for 60-game season
Commissioner Manfred has authority to mandate season of 50 to 60 games with prorated pay for players
Major League Baseball’s Players Association voted Monday to reject the owners’ proposal for a 60-game season, raising doubts about whether the league will return to play in 2020.
The owners’ proposal called for a 60-game regular season played over roughly 70 days beginning in mid-July, with full prorated salaries for players and expanded playoffs in 2020 and 2021. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has the authority to mandate a season of 50 to 60 games with prorated pay if no agreement can be reached between the two sides.
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The season could be canceled altogether if fewer than three-fourths of MLB owners approve the mandate.
“While we had hoped to reach a revised back to work agreement with the league, the players remain fully committed to proceeding under our current agreement and getting back on the field for the fans, for the game and for each other,” the MLBPA said in a statement.
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The MLBPA opted to vote on the owners’ offer after Manfred rejected a union proposal that called for a 70-game season at full prorated pay. Manfred said a 70-game season would have been impossible given public health mandates to conclude play by the early fall when experts warn cases of COVID-19 could spike.
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The 2020 MLB season has been on indefinite hold since mid-March when the coronavirus pandemic forced a stoppage in play across U.S. sports leagues. If there is a season, MLB games will be played without fans in attendance for the foreseeable future.
Manfred said MLB would lose an estimated $4 billion if there is no season.