According to Ken Rosenthal and other reports, the Major League Baseball owners have come to an agreement on a plan for an MLB Season in 2020. However, this plan cannot go into effect until approved by the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Player’s Association), which could be a tall task. Some of the highlights of the plan include:
82-game regional schedule and universal DH
30-man active rosters with a 20-player taxi squad
14 teams in the postseason with games played in home cities in October
50/50 revenue split for players and owners
That last point will be the biggest problem when it comes to receiving the MLBPA’s approval. The owners want to change the way players are paid, even though both sides already came to an agreement only 6 weeks ago over how players would be paid if and when baseball resumed. Now, due to the fact that there will be no fans in the stands to start the season, owners are proposing a 50/50 revenue split, which the MLBPA will surely reject. Players have never been paid based on their team or league’s revenue and they will not be willing to start now, especially when playing baseball this year will be anything but normal. They may be expected to wear masks, keep social distancing before, during and after games, adhere to a strange new set of rules, be away from their families, and worst of all — be denied the post-game buffet!
Nevertheless, many baseball fans may be encouraged by the latest news that the owners have agreed upon a plan. However, it means nothing until the MLBPA also agrees to the plan. A 50/50 Revenue Split is basically a salary cap, and the last time the owners tried to enforce that, we lost the World Series due to the Player’s Strike of 1994. Therefore, tonight’s negotiations are likely only the beginning. It will be a long and hard fought negotiation, but at the end of the day, both sides stand to benefit from having some sort of a season. And even if an agreement is made, there are still many obstacles left, such as what to do about cities that are still enforcing bans of mass gatherings (even without fans, an MLB game may be considered a mass gathering).
As for the rule changes, the Universal Designated Hitter is not something I am a fond of as a National League fan, but I can deal with it for one season. The same goes for the expanded playoffs. That being said, there is no doubt that owners and executives are doing their best to take advantage of the current situation in order to get whatever rules or regulations they were dreaming of before to enter into reality. I only hope that in 2021, things revert back to normal.