Official *MLB Season Delayed* Thread

[cavebird]

MLB made their economic presentation to the players today, and according to many writers, the MLBPA was "very disappointed." LOL.

Shock. They have until the end of the week. MLB won't actually make a proposal they think the players would agree to until they are in the room on the last day horsetrading. But, they are still talking, and they know the timelines. That means things are at least going on as usual for a last minute deal. Deferring lots of money is really going to be the key. The question is who balks.

[cavebird]

The A's are furloughing their entire scouting division, and will no longer pay minor leaguers their salary after May 31.

They don't have a good enough union, alas.

[harmon]

Shock. They have until the end of the week. MLB won't actually make a proposal they think the players would agree to until they are in the room on the last day horsetrading. But, they are still talking, and they know the timelines. That means things are at least going on as usual for a last minute deal. Deferring lots of money is really going to be the key. The question is who balks.

Let's get Bob Davidson to bring the parties together. He'll get somebody to balk real quick.

[revo]

OMG, the proposal the league made yesterday was downright laughable.

Under their plan, players making $20m+ would only get 20% of their salary. So Mike Trout, with a contract calling for $38m, would get about $5m for this year.

[Sour Masher]

OMG, the proposal the league made yesterday was downright laughable.

Under their plan, players making $20m+ would only get 20% of their salary. So Mike Trout, with a contract calling for $38m, would get about $5m for this year.

It i a misguided attempt to shift the greedy rich label from themselves to the highest paid players. They proposed a progressive tax system, essentially, to try to make the highest paid players the bad guys for rejecting it. It is a play that leads to bad blood, but as long as the players don't take it personally and keeping negotiating, I still think a deal gets done.

[frae]

The offer was embarassing and the owners knew that. They leaked all the stats because yes $5m for Trout is a lot to you and me, but that is not what was agreed on. Many of the owners bought their teams for maybe 20% of what the team is valued at today so don't cry poor that for one year you are going to lose money. You want to say the full pro-rated 82 game salary is not what you want to pay fine, make a realistic offer but this thing was a load of shit. Jason had a good tweet that showed how insane the offer was compared to what they agreed to in March...

[TranaGreg]

... but as long as the players don't take it personally and keeping negotiating, I still think a deal gets done.

I'm much less optimistic than you ... yes there's too much at stake but it'll be June this weekend & they are far apart ...

[Sour Masher]

I'm much less optimistic than you ... yes there's too much at stake but it'll be June this weekend & they are far apart ...

Stuff will either get done at zero hour or not at all. Owners will hold out till the last second and then blink if the players give a little...I hope.

[chancellor]

I'm much less optimistic than you ... yes there's too much at stake but it'll be June this weekend & they are far apart ...

Same here. And I don't think the union members will give Tony Clark a lot of wiggle room to negotiate a bigger haircut than they're already taking.

[cavebird]

Same here. And I don't think the union members will give Tony Clark a lot of wiggle room to negotiate a bigger haircut than they're already taking.

MLBPA will offer deferments, MLB will offer pay cuts. Someone will have to blink, almost certainly at the last second.

[GwynnInTheHall]

MLBPA will offer deferments, MLB will offer pay cuts. Someone will have to blink, almost certainly at the last second.

It'll be the fans blinking away tears.

[chancellor]

It'll be the fans blinking away tears.

I hope you're wrong, but suspect you're right.

[revo]

They’ll come to an agreement at the last minute, but this proposal by the owners was downright embarrassing, and I wouldn’t blame the players one bit for just walking away without a counter, like you would if you got an offer of Ben Zobrist for Mike Trout in your fantasy league.

[chancellor]

LOL...even Rotoworld's getting into it:

MLB has been setting revenue records annually and has seen franchise values skyrocket, but when one bad year finally strikes, the league wants most of its losses to be assumed by the players, all of whom already have contracts stipulating their pay for the 2020 season. The players will be forced to make some concessions if there will be baseball this year. Not for the good of the game or anything like that, but simply because the billionaires won't have it any other way.

[revo]

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, some MLB owners are "perfectly willing" to go with the nuclear option and cancel the 2020 season should players not agree to additional pay cuts. From Olney:

"Sources say there is a group of owners perfectly willing to shut down the season, to slash payroll costs and reduce losses, and the disparate views among the 30 teams have been reflected in the decisions to fire and furlough. The Pirates' Bob Nutting used the shutdown as an avenue to suspend team contributions to employee 401K plans -- savings best measured monthly in the tens of thousands of dollars rather than the millions that would actually be difference-making for a franchise probably worth at least $1 billion. The Oakland Athletics' John Fisher decided to eliminate the $400 weekly salaries of minor leaguers, which might save the franchise about the amount of the team's unpaid stadium rental bill. On the other hand, clubs such as the Tigers, Padres and Royals demonstrated greater humanity, with the Royals' John Sherman deciding to pay his minor leaguers."


This would absolutely kill the sport. F--k 'em, if they think this is the way to go, I hope everyone abandons them and their team values plummet.