Getting caught up on where things stand in negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Players Association isn’t hard because there hasn’t been a lot of movement by either side. The players intended to vote Sunday on MLB’s latest proposal to return for a 60-game regular season. However, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that commissioner Rob Manfred sent a letter to union chief Tony Clark about the league’s position on the amount of games possible for a regular season given that MLB was just forced to close spring training facilities again. The earliest players could report to those facilities would be June 29.
In letter to Tony Clark today, Rob Manfred said, “I really believe we are fighting over an impossibility on games.” Says given need to relocated teams from Florida, earliest players could report is June 29, leaving 66 days to play 60 games.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 21, 2020
The letter also offered to cancel expanded playoffs and the universal DH for 2021 if a full season can’t be played in 2020 according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a letter to MLBPA executive director Tony Clark today offering to cancel expanded playoffs and universal DH for 2021 if a full season isn’t played in 2020, sources tell ESPN. Players are concerned about giving up leverage of playoffs for naught.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 21, 2020
The proposed 2021 olive branch may be the last and best chance MLB and MLBPA have to strike a deal. Players had planned on voting today whether to accept a 60-game season or allow Manfred to impose a season of his desired length, sources tell me and @JesseRogersESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 21, 2020
The scheduled vote didn’t take place though as Rosenthal reports that the players cut their meeting short after Clark received the letter from Manfred. It is still unclear where that leaves things at this point.
Players cut union meeting short after Clark received letter from Manfred, sources tell me and @JaysonSt. Unclear whether things will progress from here.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 21, 2020
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