MLB Proposal Of Delayed Season Is Rejected By The MLBPA

Major League Baseball (MLB) came out with a delayed season proposal that consists of 154 games. The proposal was submitted to the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) who took their time to review the proposal. The MLBPA in the end decided to reject the delayed season proposal.

MLB and the MLBPA have been down this road before in 2020 when both parties could not come to an agreement as to how the 2020 season should proceed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two parties are once again in a similar situation as the MLB wants to the 2021 season to be pushed back to late April and consist of 154 games.

In order to proceed with the delayed season, training will have to also be pushed back to late March. Before the proposal was submitted to the MLBPA for review, training was set to commence on Feb 17. This would mean another change in plans for the MLB franchises and the players.

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Sources suggest that the MLBPA and the players are not very happy with the new delayed season proposal. The MLB proposal also has language and clauses within it that gives Commissioner Rob Manfred a lot more power that will enable him to cut a player’s salary and also cancel games based on his discretion.

Why Is MLB Proposing A Delayed Season?

MLB has proposed a delayed season once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commissioner and his team are paying close attention to health experts who predict that COVID-19 numbers could drop in the coming months as the vaccine gets rolled out.

MLB believes that delaying the season by a month would make it safer for the players, especially in states like Florida and Arizona which continue to see a decline in COVID-19 cases. MLB has also debunked the claim that the new proposal has language that gives the Commissioner additional powers.

MLB has pointed out that even though the delayed season will have 154 games, the players will be paid in total for the full 162 games. This party of the proposal would have gone down well with the MLBPA who objected to a delayed season last year because the initial proposal was not going to pay players for the full 162 games.

The MLBPA has confirmed that players will continue to train and prepare for the season to start on-time. MLB either has to compromise or the matter will have to be taken to the courts.