Monday was potentially a momentous day in labor negotiations between Major League Baseball owners and the Player’s Association, as the former presented another proposal to the MLBPA. This rendering included several key points, including prorated salaries for players, which has been a major hurdle to this point. The owners did, however, shorten the season to 50 games in this proposal, which would leave the players with very little earning power, and thus very little incentive to play. If the two sides can agree on the season length while maintaining the stipulation that players are paid a prorated salary, then baseball in 2020 becomes a much less dubious proposition.
Braves News
Atlanta Braves 2020 MLB Draft Preview: 3B
Resident draft expert Matt Powers breaks down top third basemen in the upcoming MLB Draft, along with favorite Braves targets. Top third base prospect Jordan Walker is an in-state prospect for Atlanta but could potentially be off the board between their first selection.
Here’s each team’s best hometown Draft pick
Speaking of in-state prospects, the Braves took one in the first round of the 2007 draft. Jason Heyward won the Rookie of the Year just three years later and went on to enjoy a successful career in Atlanta before being traded to St. Louis. While Heyward fell short f the incredible hype that surrounded him coming into the league, he has still carved out an excellent career and was certainly an excellent draft choice for the Braves.
MLB News
MLBPA Submits 2020 Season Proposal
The Player’s Association delivered their proposal to the owners on Sunday, but the length of the season was a major sticking point. The players proposed a season spanning 114 games, $100 million in deferrals, two years of playoff expansion, and opt-out clauses for players who do not wish to play.
MLB discussing shorter season, pro-rated salaries for players, per report
The owners countered on Monday, with the major point of contention being that they wanted only 50 games to be played. This would soften the financial blow of paying players a prorated salary for the season while allowing for some semblance of baseball to be played, though a 50 game season is hardly sufficient from a competitive standpoint. It remains to be seen how much momentum can be gained from the inclusion of prorated salaries, but if the number of games can be solved their may be a window of opportunity arising soon.
10 ROY winners who didn’t turn into superstars
Multiple former Braves are present on this list, though none of them are named Heyward, Kimbrel, or Acuña. Brief playoff hero Eric Hinske does make the list, however, though he still managed to churn out a fairly productive major league career.