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Following meeting, union sends one more counterproposal to MLB requesting more games

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© Stan Szeto | 2019 Sep 25


It sounded on Wednesday like the MLB and MLBPA had finally struck a deal. Not quite.

The Players Association was still left unsatisfied by the number of games in MLB’s latest framework, which proposed around a 60-game season, and has sent a counter proposal to Rob Manfred and the owners that they hope will be the final in a series of counteroffers that have lasted months.

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark released a statement on Thursday saying that he believed the latest proposal “represents a basis for an agreement on resumption of play.”

Here are the details of the proposal according to ESPN:

  • 70-game season from July 19 through Sept. 30;
  • Full prorated pay;
  • Spring training to begin June 26-28;
  • Expanded playoffs to 16 teams in 2020 and 2021 seasons;
  • 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 postseason games in 2021;
  • Salary-advance forgiveness for all players in Tiers I to III of March agreement;
  • Opt-outs — full service and 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 2020 and 2021;
  • Enhanced housing allowances in spring training and regular season;
  • Universal designated hitter in 2020 and 2021;
  • Parties to collaborate on broadcast enhancements;
  • Mutual waiver of potential grievances under the March agreement.

“In my discussions with Rob in Arizona, we explored a potential pro rata framework, but I made clear repeatedly in that meeting and after it that there were a number of significant issues with what he proposed, in particular the number of games,” Clark said in a statement Thursday. “It is unequivocally false to suggest that any tentative agreement or other agreement was reached in that meeting.

“In fact, in conversations within the last 24 hours, Rob invited a counterproposal for more games that he would take back to the owners. We submitted that counterproposal today.”