Earlier this week, MLB offered the Major League Baseball Players Association a sliding scale of pay cuts that would hit the league’s biggest earners the most in exchange for returning to the field this summer amidst the pandemic.
The proposal, which would pay most players much less than the pro-rated salaries they previously agreed to take when the season was initially postponed, was not met with open arms by the MLBPA, with the union calling it “extremely disappointing.”
Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer, one of eight players on the MLBPA’s executive subcommittee, put a finer point on the union’s dissatisfaction with the proposal in a tweet he posted Wednesday night.
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) May 28, 2020
Scherzer’s call for owners to open up their books comes in response to MLB’s claim that it will lose a significant amount of money if games are played in 2020 and players receive their full pro-rated salaries due to the lack of fans in the seats.
Though a formal counter-offer has not been made to the proposal MLB put forth, the MLBPA is expected to suggest a new plan that includes more than 100 games and a guarantee of full prorated salaries for the 2020 season, sources told ESPN.
MLB has proposed playing in front of no fans with games starting the first week of July following a second edition of spring training starting in mid-June.
However, if negotiations continue at this pace, that timeline will have to be adjusted and the season potentially being canceled outright is becoming an increasing possibility with each passing day.
This season is not looking promising. Keeping the mind and body ready regardless. Time to dive into some life-after-baseball projects. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Brighter times remain ahead!
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) May 26, 2020
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