MLB and MLBPA Could be Close to Bringing us Braves Baseball in 2020
The latest reports show that there is still hope for the Atlanta Braves to get on the field in 2020 as MLB and the MLBPA try to work things out.
Early this week looked like the darkest times for baseball in quite a while and I felt like there was virtually no shot at seeing the Atlanta Braves play again in 2020.
But things can change quickly, and out of nowhere on Wednesday there were reports of the two sides being close to an agreement.
Jon Heyman jumped the gun saying that an agreement was in place, but the MLBPA quickly responded by saying that’s not the case.
Now other reports are coming in from more reputable sources that while a deal is not in place the two sides are close and finally appear set on making something work.
Major League Baseball has sent a new proposal to the MLB Players Association, sources tell ESPN. No deal is done, but with Rob Manfred and Tony Clark having met, this is seen as significant progress considering where the parties were 48 hours ago.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 17, 2020
Finally, what we’ve all been screaming for to happen has happened — the two sides actually sat down to talk about this instead of swapping barbs through email and the meida.
And what you know, progress is actually happening.
As Passan points out in another tweet, there are two things that have to happen for this thing to move forward.
One, the players have to get a full pro-rated salary for games played. They haven’t come off that from the very beginning and they’re not going to.
Second, the players have to agree not to file a grievance against the league. Filling a grieving would take a lot of time and could possibly lead to the owners having to open up their financials, which they desperately don’t want to happen.
The MLB proposal to the MLBPA, as @Ken_Rosenthal said, is for a 60-game season that ends around Sept. 27 and gives players fully prorated salaries. It would have expanded playoffs and would include waiving of right to grieve by the union.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 17, 2020
And now it seems like those two things have been worked out, if the players accept the offer, which makes a path to a 2020 season seem much more likely.
At this point, the ball is in the hands of the players if we’re going to have a season.
The players called the bluff of the owners with their #WhenAndWhere campaign proving that the owners were just stalling for less games.
Now the owners have reversed it and put it back on the players by giving them what they want (full pro-rated salaries) and at least more than the 48 games that was being threatened.
If the players turn this down then the heat from the media and fans is likely on them.
But either way, this is the closest to having a 2020 season as we’ve had in quite some time.
A couple of other key takeaways from this proposal. Games would start on July 17, and it would include expanded playoffs with 16 teams making the postseason.
And here is a positive statement from the commissioner.
Manfred statement... pic.twitter.com/Z2NgD95F9T
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 17, 2020
As many reporters have stated, the players are likely to counter this proposal asking for more games. But the hope is the two sides settle somewhere in the middle and we get 65-66 games.
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This is certainly a positive and we’ll take all the positives we can get in baseball right now. Your 2020 Braves season might not be over just yet.