Official *MLB Season Delayed* Thread

[GwynnInTheHall]

For auction leagues and say--you traded for expiring contracts in hopes to compete this year, I'd hope there would be some kind of understanding reached as it really unfairly impacts anyone who has gone that route--they lose the players they counted on to make the run if they sit out and the players/picks they traded to get those contracts.

What is RJEL doing?

[Ken]

For auction leagues and say--you traded for expiring contracts in hopes to compete this year, I'd hope there would be some kind of understanding reached as it really unfairly impacts anyone who has gone that route--they lose the players they counted on to make the run if they sit out and the players/picks they traded to get those contracts.

What is RJEL doing?

Isn't it basically the same as an injury though? Can't predict what's going to happen, if you could, we'd all just play VD instead.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Isn't it basically the same as an injury though? Can't predict what's going to happen, if you could, we'd all just play VD instead.

I can see that point.

[revo]

MLBPA countered with an 89 game season, but still with full pro-rated salaries, with the expanded playoffs the owners want.

[Sour Masher]

MLBPA countered with an 89 game season, but still with full pro-rated salaries, with the expanded playoffs the owners want.

Seems reasonable to me. Make it happen owners! Counter with deferring half their salaries for a year or two if money is so tight right now.

[Erik]

For keeper or auction leagues, why have or even schedule your draft at this point? IMO, you are just looking to complicate matters.

Our league is waiting until we 100% know there will be a season and then will decide the next step. We are an in-peson draft with out of state owners, so we may have to setup a remote option for this year if we go ahead with a roto season. But I believe that we are going to vote to not play it out even is there is a season and just extend all contracts by 1 year.

This is where we are as well. We did not have our auction before the shutdown. Right now the league is leaning toward freezing rosters and salaries and carrying them over to 2021 as if 2020 never happened, and if it turns out games will be played, to do a one-and-done keeper-less auction for reduced money or just for fun.

[revo]

“The fear without an agreement between the two sides is that several of the game’s biggest stars may decide to simply sit out this season, believing it’s not worth the health risk while receiving only about 33% of their annual salary to play this season.

One owner says he has already been informed that several of his players indicated they wouldn’t play this year under those conditions, forfeiting their salary this season while not receiving service time.“

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2020/06/09/mlb-rob-manfred-shortened-baseball-season-no-agreement-players/5331170002/

This is exactly as I said earlier in this thread. Players who no longer care about service time and who will get pennies on the dollar for services they should get top dollar for will just say see you next year. Meanwhile, AAA types will be beating down the doors to get a prorated amount of the minimum salary just to get a shot.

Be prepared for a season of replacement level types....

[Judge Jude]

I'd be surprised if any star who makes 5 cents in off-field endorsement deals makes that choice.

have noted this before, but athletes are a different breed of cat.

logically, a stud who already has made $50M-plus shouldn't care about skipping a couple of million in 2020 and maybe similar in lost endorsements.

but their hyper-competitiveness almost always leaves them chasing every extra buck. the very basic instincts that got them to the top don't seem to be able to be turned off no matter what the dollar figure.

there's probably a great research study out there on this.

decades ago, SI surveyed numerous Olympic athletes on a variety of questions.

the one that I still remember - though naturally am foggy on the details - was something like how many years they would be willing to take off their lives in exchange for a gold medal. A Faustian bargain.

I don't claim to remember the numbers, but they were so shocking that I just couldn't believe it.

then I spent a long time interacting with professional athletes - and my eyes got opened.

the one caveat is that while this has been true forever, nothing always stays the same. maybe this generation will be different.

I'll have to see it first, though.

[Sour Masher]

I agree that I'd bet against a bunch of players sitting, or at least, if they do, they better darn well come up with a better reason than Snell gave, after seeing the backlash he got. Some might, because of what Revo says--they are rich, they don't want to risk covid or more likely getting hurt and missing part or all of 2021, etc. But they will say it is for another reason--their family or taking a stand against the bad guy owners. They will have to figure out the best way to spin it. But it would be really hard to spin, not just to fans, but to teammates who have that competitive fire and would be mad as hell if their leader/star players are not in the fox holes with them this year.

[chancellor]

I'd be surprised if any star who makes 5 cents in off-field endorsement deals makes that choice.

have noted this before, but athletes are a different breed of cat.

Agree with the latter, disagree with the former. They guys who don't play can spin this pretty easily - kids at home, wife at risk, caretakers of parents - or if none of that applies, throw out some pablum about advocating for "racial justice" or "helping their community rebuild", show up at a couple events, drop a couple tweets, and they'll be fine with sponsors.

But I do agree that more will show than expected, even though I think revo's also correct about players telling owners they won't show right now. I expect about half the guys saying they won't show will actually show up - competitiveness and the conclusion that $4 - 8 mil instead of $10 - 20 mil still ain't bad.

[revo]

Agree with the latter, disagree with the former. They guys who don't play can spin this pretty easily - kids at home, wife at risk, caretakers of parents - or if none of that applies, throw out some pablum about advocating for "racial justice" or "helping their community rebuild", show up at a couple events, drop a couple tweets, and they'll be fine with sponsors.

But I do agree that more will show than expected, even though I think revo's also correct about players telling owners they won't show right now. I expect about half the guys saying they won't show will actually show up - competitiveness and the conclusion that $4 - 8 mil instead of $10 - 20 mil still ain't bad.

I agree. But yes, some players who don't care about service time may come up with a "valid" excuse. Then maybe they'll show up just in time for the postseason!

[revo]

Thinking about it more, the owners really are using the leverage of the calendar to their advantage.

The longer they hold out, and the more they waste time coming up with ideas the players will never accept, then they can always point to the clock and say there’s just no time now for a longer season, whether it’s because of bad weather or (heh heh) using a potential second wave of the coronavirus to their advantage.

The players must agree to a deal in the next week, be forced to accept a shorter season, or walk away.

And if both parties blow this season up over money — a godforsaken labor dispute right in the middle of a pandemic!! — then they deserve all the scorn they will get.

Uh huh, glad they finally realized this.

[revo]

Manfred said there “will be baseball this season, 100%.”

[cavebird]

I am more optimistic than I have been in a while. MLBPA countered--quickly---and actually moved. MLB has yet to move at all off their bottom line in guaranteed money. If they will, I think we'll have a deal by this weekend. If the fights between the owners prevents that, it will get ugly.

[revo]

MLB expected to counter today with a 72 game season at 80% of pro-rated pay. So, that means a 58-game season at full pay, mildly better than the 48-game season that had been bandied about. Still, the total $$$ the owners are offering is virtually the same as their last offer.

I'm beginning to hate Rob Manfred, he really just lied to our face the other day. In no way, shape or form is this offer "significantly better" than their last one.