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There is a “jointly developed framework” for a deal between Major League Baseball and the Players Association, according to Rob Manfred.
That sure is not where the negotiations should be on June 17, but it is the most hopeful sign to this point that there will be a 2020 MLB season.
Manfred and players union chief Tony Clark met in Phoenix on Tuesday — the first face-to-face meeting between the two warring sides, which have exchanged emailed offers but not actually conversed in the past weeks, during which it began to feel as if the season would be lost. MLB reportedly made another official offer to the players Wednesday, the first of which that guarantees prorated deals, a hill the players were willing to shelter-at-home upon.
It does not seem as if the union will accept the pact outright, as it still is aiming for a lengthier season, yet this offer represents serious progress. The details, according to The Athletic:
— 60 games in 70 days, beginning July 19/20;
— expanded playoffs this season and next;
— the waiving of any potential grievance.
The final note is the most important, the owners having feared the union would file grievance about games missed that would be hefty. Major League Baseball is willing to concede a longer season if it means the union concedes that legal right, which the union has agreed to. Yet, the players likely will want a bigger sample size of a season, perhaps in the mid-60s or 70s, thus boosting their pay.
“Consistent with our conversations yesterday, I am encouraging the Clubs to move forward and I trust Tony is doing the same,” Manfred said in a statement, the two leaders signaling they are getting ready to play ball.
