After the latest twist in a will-they, won’t-they plot better suited to a bad romantic comedy, MLB is back where it started — square one.
With spring training fast approaching, MLB attempted to make several changes to the upcoming season.
On Friday, the league proposed a 154-game schedule that would pay the players as if they completed the usual 162 games while delaying the beginning of spring training and the season a month each. The designated hitter would be added to the National League for one year, and the playoffs would bump from 10 to 14 teams.
But the MLB Players Association rejected that proposal Monday night. The organization cited concerns with several doubleheaders each team would be required to play, the expansion of the playoffs and a lack of salary or service time protections if further delays, interruptions or cancellations impacted the season.
In response, MLB said clubs and players should prepare to begin spring training and the regular season as scheduled — Feb. 17 and April 1, respectively — subject to an agreement regarding the health and safety protocols.
“This was a good deal that reflected the best interests of everyone involved in the sport by merely moving the calendar of the season back one month for health and safety reasons without impacting any rights either the players or the Clubs currently have under the Basic Agreement or Uniform Player’s Contract for pay and service time,” MLB’s statement read.
MLB went through this back-and-forth ahead of the 2020 season, with last-minute discussions going nowhere before commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60-game season on the league.
The owners had considered delaying the beginning of the season throughout the winter, but only sent a formal proposal to the MLBPA last week. The Cactus League and several government officials in Arizona asked that spring training be pushed back due to the high infection rates in the state. The CDC reported more than 125,000 new coronavirus cases in the United States on Monday.
“On the advice of medical experts, we proposed a one-month delay to the start of Spring Training and the regular season to better protect the health and safety of players and support staff,” MLB’s statement read. “A delay of the season would allow for the level of COVID-19 infection rates to decrease and additional time for the distribution of vaccinations, as well as minimizing potential disruptions to the 2021 season that currently face all sports.”
Delaying the start of the season would also increase the chance of fans attending games, returning a significant revenue stream for owners. The altered 2020 season resulted in MLB’s 30 clubs amassing $8.3 billion in debt, according to Sportico.
But following the MLBPA’s rejection of the proposal, the league appears set to begin another season and navigate the seemingly inevitable coronavirus complications.
“We do not make this decision lightly,” the MLBPA’s statement read. “Players know first-hand the efforts that were required to complete the abbreviated 2020 season, and we appreciate that significant challenges lie ahead. We look forward to promptly finalizing enhanced health and safety protocols that will help Players and Clubs meet these challenges.”
The league made it through the 2020 season, even after breakouts hit the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals early in the process. The postseason still took place, resulting in the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series.
Other leagues have shown seasons during a pandemic without a bubble can be possible, too, if they’re willing to weather the uncertainty of positive cases and contact tracing. The NFL will crown a Super Bowl champion on Sunday, and the NHL and NBA seasons are underway — although all three experienced schedule adjustments.
For MLB and the MLBPA, another back-and-forth with no proper resolution could signify the bad blood growing between the two parties. That relationship could come to a head once more when — and if — the 2021 season concludes.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2021, leaving more uncertainty on the horizon, even as this season rapidly approaches.
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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