MLB 'will not play more than 60 games' or respond to players' latest plan, union says
Major League Baseball has told the MLB Players Association that that it will not make a counter offer to the players' latest return-to-play proposal and will not play more than 60 games, according to a statement released by the MLBPA on Friday evening.
"MLB has informed the Association that it will not respond to our last proposal and will not play more than 60 games," the MLBPA said. "Our Executive Board will convene in the near future to determine next steps. Importantly, Players remain committed to getting back to work as soon as possible."
The MLBPA on Thursday had proposed a 70-game regular-season schedule, a plan immediately rejected by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
The league on Wednesday had proposed a 60-game schedule, which players said was too short.
The latest back-and-forth followed a four-hour negotiation in Phoenix on Tuesday between union executive director Tony Clark and Manfred. MLB had emerged from that meeting believing that the framework of a deal had been agreed upon, sources told ESPN, but the union disagreed with that accounting.
"This needs to be over," Manfred had said Thursday. "Until I speak with owners, I can't give you a firm deadline."
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