Looking at the Latest Negotiations Between the MLB and MLBPA

The MLB and MLBPA have been at each other's throats since the start of the 2020 season in labor negotiations. We look at the latest battle between the two sides and how it affects not only this season but the future of Baseball as we know it.

Ever since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player's Association have essentially been at war. The owners want a chance to save anywhere they can with no fans being in the stands while the players want as much money as they can get throughout the season. This resulted in the 2020 season being pushed back to July 24th and the season only consisting of 60 games. Players only got part of their salaries and the owners had to suffer by not having fans. We hadn't heard much about the negotiations over the off-season but, with Spring Training just three weeks away, talks have heated up again. There have been two major proposals presented by Major League Baseball to the MLBPA in the last two weeks, and players have been skeptical of both. 

The first they turned down immediately as the MLB wanted to trade expanded postseason play for a universal designated hitter. However, the most recent dispute is the one that is the most troubling for fans this season. The MLB has proposed that the season be pushed back one month, meaning Spring Training would start March 22nd with the season following on April 28th. There has been no official decision on this proposal other than the fact that the players don't seem to like it. With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to run out in December, the two sides are looking for a compromise. Today, we look at each of the Major disputes this off-season, and see how the two sides can come together and save baseball from a possible delayed 2021 start, and even worse a lockout in 2022.

Expanded Postseason vs. Universal DH

The first of the Major disputes this off-season has already been turned down by the players. Major League Baseball proposed an expanded playoff field, just like last season in exchange for the Designated Hitter being implemented universally across both leagues. This would mean that there would be another 16 team playoff field in 2021, while the National League would be able to use the designated hitter just like the American League. Now, I don't like the designated hitter as much as anyone, but I understand why it is useful and should probably be implemented universally throughout the league. Conversely, I also see how expanded playoffs can help not just the owners but the game of baseball.

Taking my fan hat off for a minute, the Designated Hitter implemented universally would help a lot of guys throughout the league. First of all, it creates 15 new jobs for players as the National League teams would all be in the market for a DH. With many options like Mitch Moreland, Nelson Cruz, and other older power bats on the market, it would offer these guys a chance to extend their careers while still producing. On the other hand, the DH helps teams out by getting a guy like former Pirate Josh Bell out of the field. Bell could hit the ball far but was a liability when he put the glove on. A universal DH situation would allow for a guy like Bell to focus solely on hitting while a better defensive player could get more opportunities.

The second issue of expanded playoffs benefits not only the owners but the fans as well. Nothing gets people excited like a good playoff run, and a 16-team field opens that possibility up to more teams. Also, it allows different teams to be added into the mix instead of seeing the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox of the world always in the tournament. It also allows some of the smaller market teams like the Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, and Oakland Athletics to make playoff runs earlier than before. I personally liked the expanded playoffs last season because it allowed more teams to be competitive and more fan bases to experience playoff baseball. I was scratching my head when this deal was turned down by the players, and it further showed just how much tension there is between the two sides.

Pushing Back the Season

With the players already turning down one proposal from the MLB, a second proposal was placed on the table to push back the season. In the newest proposal by the MLB, Spring Training would be pushed back to March 22nd, with the season set to begin on April 28th. The move is to ensure that the situation with the COVID-19 Pandemic gets better and the new schedule would feature a 154-game schedule. In the new proposal, players would still get their full-season salaries and the playoffs would be pushed back, with the World Series scheduled to begin in November. As a fan of the game, I hate the idea of pushing the season back again, but as a person, I understand with everything that is going on.

While other sports like the NHL, NFL, and NBA have all been continuing with a combination of empty stadiums and fans in the stands, the MLB owners are worried that another season without fans at the start would be detrimental to the sport. They are arguing that the money from ticket revenue is what allows them to pay the players the contracts they want. However, from the player's perspective, they are worried that this new proposal will give the commissioner too much power in canceling games and taking their pay away. They also argue that with Spring Training two weeks away, pitchers are already amped up for Spring Training and can't shut down and then get ready again for late March.

After one season was already delayed, fans and players don't want to go through another delay to start 2021. The current rumblings are that players aren't going to accept this proposal either, not because of the delay but because they are afraid Rob Manfred would have too much power. It is a pitty argument considering that some people are worried about their paychecks or how they will pay their mortgage. Baseball is a way for people to escape their worries and not only would it affect the owners and players, but it could affect people's sanity. Baseball is a three-hour escape from reality and for some people, it is a way to forget their problems. The MLB and MLBPA better learn to get along soon, or we may be facing a long, drawn-out, labor battle following this 2021 season.

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