The union's action Saturday night could lead to a season of about 50 games rather than the 82 initially proposed by MLB. The Major League Baseball Players Association could respond by filing a grievance that would be heard by arbitrator Mark Irvings, arguing players are owed hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
Players and MLB agreed to a deal March 26 calling for prorated salaries. That deal gave baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred the right to start the season provided there were no travel restrictions and games could be played before fans in regular-season ballparks. It called for “good faith” negotiations to play in empty ballparks or neutral sites.MLB made three economic offers, the last Friday, and the union proposed two.
Owners must now decide whether to go ahead with a shortened schedule, of perhaps 48 or 50 games. A 50-game regular season at prorated salaries would total $1.23 billion, leaving the union to claim about $1 billion plus interest in damages should the case continue to a decision and players prevail.