Here we go again! The 2020 campaign was unusual every way you look at it. It only had 60 regular-season games, the playoffs were expanded, the designated hitter was used in both leagues and, most importantly, MLB teams had to deal with coronavirus and all of its consequences.
But over the spring and part of the summer, there was an ugly dispute between MLB and the players’ association on several sensitive subjects, most notably compensation and revenue share. Sadly, since COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, the two parties still need to come up with solutions to play the 2021 season, and they are already having differences.
On Tuesday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that several anonymous club executives expressed a desire to delay the 2021 season until sometime in May. That way, players and staffers would have the opportunity to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The measure could also result in a safer environment for fans and, with luck and proper planning, maybe welcoming them in stadiums at some point.
MLB and MLB PA want different things… again
However, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the MLB Players Association is “planning for a 162-game season and plan to show up to spring training on time.” Of course, why would they want to play anything less than 162 games and risk further pay cuts after they already lost so much money in 2020?
Drellich is reporting that if it means forfeiting any salary, the players have no interest in MLB’s latest idea (more like a desire than a formal request) to start in May.
Bruce Meyer, the MLB PA’s senior director of collective bargaining and legal, said to Drellich: “To be clear, and as we’ve made clear to the league, players are planning on showing up for spring training on time for a full 162-game season as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement and the league’s previously issued schedule.”
It’s still early and a compromise could be reached at some point. But it’s very worrisome that the two sides are already having such different stances.