Major League Baseball players association has told the league that they are done negotiating, and that MLB should inform them how many games they want to play and when players should report.
Jeff Passan was the first with the report that the union would not counter. Shortly after, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark released a statement:
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark today released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/d1p3Oj4K70
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 13, 2020
"It unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile," Clark wrote. "It's time to get back to work. Tell us when and where."
According to Passan, the union is demanding the league informs them of their plans by the end of the business day Monday.
Under the March agreement between the two sides, commissioner Rob Manfred has the power to mandate a 2020 season. Under that agreement, players will receive full pro rata pay, meaning owners will want to play a shorter season to cut costs, likely 48 to 50 games.
Manfred guaranteed there would be a 2020 season earlier this week, though he made clear that he hoped the two sides would reach an agreement.
“I remain committed to the idea that the best thing for our sport is to reach a negotiated agreement with the MLBPA that plays as many games as possible for our fans,” Manfred said in an interview with MLB Network. “We do have rights under the Mar. 26 agreement, and there could come a point and time where we exercise those rights.”
MLB and the union had been negotiating for over a month on how to compensate players for the 2020 season. Players were not willing to take another pay cut beyond the prorated salaries they agreed to in March. There was a clause that allowed the owners to renegotiate that deal if fans would not be able to attend games.
Throughout those negotiations, the league never increased the guaranteed money beyond what players would receive under that shortened 50-game season. In its last offer Friday, the league offered a guaranteed 70-percent over 72 games, with the potential to have that increased to over 80-percent if there is a postseason. The league's deadline to accept the deal was Sunday.
By failing to reach a deal, the expanded playoffs both sides agreed to will be scrapped. Earlier Saturday, news broke the league reached a billion-dollar deal with Turner Sports to broadcast playoff games, so the league is leaving money on the table by failing to make a deal.
Other issues, such as rule changes, transactions and roster size, will still need to be worked out before the season can begin.
Update: MLB has released the following statement:
“We are disappointed that the MLBPA has chosen not to negotiate in good faith over resumption of play after MLB has made three successive proposals that would provide players, Clubs and our fans with an amicable resolution to a very difficult situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The MLBPA understands that the agreement reached on March 26th was premised on the parties’ mutual understanding that the players would be paid their full salaries only if play resumed in front of fans, and that another negotiation was to take place if Clubs could not generate the billions of dollars of ticket revenue required to pay players. The MLBPA’s position that players are entitled to virtually all the revenue from a 2020 season played without fans is not fair to the thousands of other baseball employees that Clubs and our office are supporting financially during this very difficult 2020 season.
"We will evaluate the Union’s refusal to adhere to the terms of the March Agreement, and after consulting with ownership, determine the best course to bring baseball back to our fans.”
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