Union proposes 70-game plan to MLB, sources say
The Major League Baseball Players Association has finalized a proposal to MLB for a season of 70 games, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers.
Among the details in MLBPA's new proposal, sources told ESPN:
- 70-game season from July 19 through Sept. 30;
- Full pro-rated pay;
- Spring training to begin June 26th-28th;
- Expanded playoffs in 2020 and 2021 season;
- Minimum pool for playoff shares in 2020 based on rounds played, $50 million if full playoff is staged;
- 50/50 split of incremental TV revenues for any additional post-season games in '21;
- Salary Advance forgiveness for all players in Tiers I-III of March agreement;
- Opt-outs -- Full service/salary for players who are high risk and those who live with high-risk individuals;
- $10 million for "social justice initiatives" (funded from welfare plan);
- $50 million to be transferred from joint funds (ITF) to the commissioner's discretionary fund;
- Clubs granted permission to sell advertisements/patches on uniforms in '20 and '21;
- Enhanced housing allowances in spring training and regular season;
- Universal DH in '20 and '21;
- Parties to collaborate on broadcast enhancements;
- Mutual waiver of potential grievances under the March agreement.
Following a four-hour negotiation in Phoenix between commissioner Rob Manfred and union executive director Tony Clark on Tuesday, MLB emerged believing the framework of a deal had been agreed upon, sources told ESPN. The union disagreed with that accounting, and players Wednesday said they viewed MLB's proposed 60-game schedule as too short.
Absent a deal, the league has the ability to implement a season of its desired length, likely around 50 games, per a March 26 agreement between the sides, a move that probably would lead to a grievance from the players. The union surveyed player leadership about the proper path forward, cognizant that its decision could sour owners and prompt the league to implement a season instead of coming to a negotiated agreement.
In the deal MLB proposed, players would be paid their full prorated salaries -- a total of $1.5 billion, or about 37% of their full-season salaries -- and would receive another $25 million for postseason play and $33 million in forgiveness on the $170 million advance they received in the March agreement.
The postseason would expand from 10 to 16 teams for the next two seasons, and a designated hitter would be added to the National League in both years. MLB would donate $10 million to social justice initiatives and teams would be allowed to add advertisements to their uniforms, sources said.
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