MLB offers 76-game season, expanded playoff in latest proposal to MLBPA
98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The volleying between the MLB and MLBPA continued this week, with the MLB offering up a 76-game season and expanded playoff format in their latest proposal to get the sides on the field in 2020. The proposal, which was obtained by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, included less guaranteed money, and was ‘quickly scoffed’ at by the players, according to Passan.
According to Passan, this latest offer from the MLB included potential earnings that “would cover up to 75% of players’ prorated salaries over a 76-game season.” That would’ve been about $1.432 billion in total pay, per Passan, with $989 million coming via straight-up salary paydays and another $443 million paid out if the playoffs went on as scheduled.
This offer also included an expanded playoff format with each eight teams in each league, per Passan.
It’s believed that the league would move ahead with a reformatted division structure that would limit travel for the 2020 season, too, meaning that you’d by all means see the American League East and National League East combined to make one division. How this proposed expansion would impact that, of course, is currently unknown.
But with the players ‘quickly scoffing’ at this offer, the gridlock between these sides will continue, and likely exhaust all of our collective interest in baseball getting on the diamond for a 2020 campaign.
As noted by Passan, the league has the ability to implement its own schedule should the sides find themselves unable to strike a deal. It’s believed such a season would likely be around the 50-game mark.
Click here for complete coverage of the MLB and MLBPA’s standoff…
