On Sunday afternoon, the Major League Baseball Players Association delivered their proposal to Major League Baseball, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Following widespread outrage over the initial proposal submitted to the players, the official response by the MLBPA was just as bold.
The MLBPA delivered a proposal to MLB on Sunday afternoon, a source familiar with it tells ESPN. It includes 114-game season that would end October 31, the right to opt out of the season for all players and potential deferral of salaries if 2020 the postseason were canceled.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 1, 2020
The proposed season would total 114 games, start on June 30, and end on Oct. 31.
With the proposed start day of June 30, a deal would need to be agreed upon as soon as possible. The players have consistently been asking for at least three weeks of notice before starting the regular season, which puts both Major League Baseball and the Players Association in a time crunch. To compensate for this, the proposal included $100 million to be distributed among players upon arrival to the Spring Training 2.0.
There would also be an opt-out clause for any player who chooses not to play. Players who are considered “high risk” would receive salary under the proposal, and those who do not qualify as “high risk” would only receive service time, which is something that has been a concern for younger players. Either way, a player who does not feel safe playing in the 2020 season would be given the ability to opt-out and stay home with their families.
Additionally, the proposal included $100 million in deferred money, which would only kick in if the 2020 postseason was not played. The deferred money would be given to players whose contracts were $10 million or greater before the prorated rates were applied. Deferred money would be paid out to qualifying players in Nov. 2021 and Nov. 2022.
The MLBPA also proposed two years of expanded playoff formatting, with Bob Nightengale of USA Today reporting that the proposal advocated for 14 teams instead of 10 teams.
In a bit of recognition for the players concerning the loss of revenue the owners are facing, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the proposal sent out today stated a willingness for a postseason or offseason All-Star game, Home Run Derby, and other special events.
MLBPA proposal says willingness to consider post-season or off-season Home Run Derby, All Star Game, other special events that could be revenue generators.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 1, 2020
These events are huge revenue sources for MLB, with the All-Star game in 2018 generating $44.8 million in advertising revenue alone. The players have also shown willingness to be mic’d up during games and to be involved in other broadcast enhancements that would increase revenue on MLB television broadcasts.
