The Major League Baseball Players Association has until the end of the weekend to determine if it is willing to accept the latest offer from owners that includes a 72-game season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted that MLB owners are now proposing 72 regular-season games, 80 percent prorated salaries if there’s a postseason and 70 percent if the virus forces the cancellation of the playoffs and World Series, and 29-man rosters for the campaign’s first month:
The #MLBPA receives formal proposal from #MLB on 72-game season starting July 14, with 80% guarantee of their prorated salaries with a postseason, 70% with no postseason. Deadline is Sunday for 72-game schedule. Also, 29-man rosters for the first month. Players also have opt-out.
At-risk players who remain home would earn salaries and service time, while those who aren’t at risk won’t earn those things should they stay home. The season would go from July 14 through Sept. 27, and players have until Sunday to accept:
The regular season, which would start on July 14 and end on Sept. 27, would allow clubs to carry 29 players the first month of the season.
Any player can choose not to play, without pay or service time. Those high-risk players to COVID-19 would still get paid with service time.
The deadline for an agreement to play 72 games is Sunday night.
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That is seems inevitable, according to Nightengale.
The union is expected to formally reject the proposal before Sunday’s deadline
I’ve deleted the below tweet because it could have been clearer: indeed, the 72-game season pay as proposed today is roughly equivalent to the roughly 50-game season *in guarantee.* The postseason adds a potential upside of $300 million, as noted here: https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/1271534203365195777 …
