*Photo from Bleacher Report*
The Major League Baseball Players Association(MLBPA) has reached it's breaking point in negotiations with the MLB owners for the playing of the 2020 season. MLBPA president Tony Clark released a statement after denying the MLB's latest proposal for the season, in which he said he would no longer pursue negotiations with the MLB for the season.
The statement says that "Players want to play. It's who we are and what we do.
Since March, the association has made it clear that our No. 1 focus is playing the fullest season possible, as soon as possible, as safely as possible. Players agreed to billions in monetary concessions as a means to that end, and in the face of repeated media leaks and misdirection, we made additional proposals to inject new revenues into the industry - proposals that would benefit the owners, players, broadcast partners, and fans alike.
It's now become apparent that these efforts have fallen upon deaf ears. In recent days, owners have decried the supposed unprofitability of owning a baseball team and the commissioner has repeatedly threatened to schedule a dramatically shortened season unless players agree to hundreds of millions in further concessions. Our response has been constant that such concessions are unwarranted, would be fundamentally unfair to players, and that our sport deserves the fullest 2020 season possible. These remain our positions today, particularly in light of new reports regarding MLB's national television rights - information we requested from the league weeks ago but were never provided.
As a result, it unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile. It's time to get back to work. Tell us when and where."
Commissioner Rob Manfred has the right to implement a shorter season as part of the agreement between the MLBPA and the MLB in March without the approval of the MLBPA if it became necessary. With these negotiations dragging on for months, it has become necessary for Manfred to do it sometime in the next two weeks for any season to come to fruition. The MLB's latest proposal to the MLBPA was for a 72 game season with 80 percent prorated pay. The MLBPA however, has not been willing to budge on another pay cut that the owners want them to take, which has led to this standstill.
MLBPA subcommittee member and St.Louis Cardinals reliever Andrew Miller said that "It's unfortunate that it has unfolded this way, players have always desired the most games possible. We have tried to work with them in every reasonable way. I sincerely believe that." MLB released their own statement after the MLBPA, saying that they were extremely disappointed that the MLBPA would no longer negotiate in good faith for a 2020 season plan.
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