Players union rejects league proposal; says dialogue with MLB is ‘futile’

MLB players are done negotiating. They will not send a counteroffer to the latest proposal from the owners.

Following the league’s Friday offer of a 72-game season in which players would be paid 70% of the prorated salary or 80% of the salary if the postseason was completed, the MLB Players Association posted a statement from president Tony Clark to Twitter.

It said that the owners have not listened to player requests, have threatened to shorten the season and never provided players with information on the television deal that was reported by the New York Post on Saturday.

The letter stated that players have made billions in monetary concessions and made proposals “that would benefit owners, players, broadcast partners and fans alike.”

“It’s now become apparent that these efforts have fallen upon deaf ears,” Clark said.

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark today released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/d1p3Oj4K70

— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 13, 2020

Instead, the union will not negotiate further. It told the league to tell the players how many games would be played and when they should report.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweeted a passage of the letter sent from the players union to the league:

“If it is your intention to unilaterally impose a season, we again request that you inform us and our members of how many games you intend to play and when and where players should report. It is unfair to leave players and the fans hanging at this point.”

Players have been adamant about receiving the full prorated salaries that were agreed upon in March, but MLB offers to the league have included different percentages of those salaries.

The most recent proposal from the players union was an 89-game season with full prorated salaries.

According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, in the most recent 72-game proposal from the owners, players would have received approximately the same pay they would have from a fully prorated 50-game season.

The New York Post reported Saturday that the “new billion-dollar deal with Turner Sports” is expected to be a “substantial increase from the $350 million per season” price Turner had paid in the past.

“In recent days, owners have decried the supposed unprofitability of owning a baseball team and the Commissioner has repeatedly threatened to schedule a dramatically shorthanded season unless players agree to hundreds of millions in further concessions,” the union statement on Twitter said.

“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.”

Major League Baseball responded later in the evening saying they are disappointed the union is deciding not to negotiate in good faith after it was understood by both that the agreement back in March was based on fans attending games.

Major League Baseball has issued a statement in response to the MLB Players Association asking the league to set a schedule for the 2020 season rather that continue discussions on a return-to-play scenario. pic.twitter.com/a27ODsmplQ

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 14, 2020

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