Could the Miami Marlins play 114 games this season?

In a recent move by the MLBPA, there is a proposal for the Miami Marlins and the 29 other teams in the league to play 114 games this season.

If Major League players get their way, the 2020 season could include 114 games instead of the 82 games the league office and owners had agreed to before it was sent to the MLBPA for a vote. This would affect the Miami Marlins season as well as the 29 teams in the league.

As reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, “The Major League Baseball Players Association delivered a return-to-play proposal to MLB on Sunday that includes a 114-game season, deferred salaries in the event of a canceled postseason and the option for all players to opt-out of a potential 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns, sources familiar with the details told ESPN.”

It’s the first real news about the 2020 season getting underway that we have heard about in the last week. It would change the landscape a bit of how baseball would be played, but the notion of games running until Oct. 31 is not out of the question.

It does radically shift how the end of the season runs into 2021. It’s also a proposal that Passan states won’t get much traction with the owners (including Derek Jeter) and is expected to be voted down.

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“MLB has proposed an 82-game season and suggested that the more games teams play this year, the more money they lose,” writes Passan. “The union remains steadfast that players should receive their full prorated salaries, while MLB’s plan included significant pay cuts that affected the highest-paid players the most but covered all levels.”

The effects of the COVID-19 virus continue to plague MLB and other sports from a financial standpoint. This past week, hundreds of minor league players were released from their ballclubs. The MLB Draft will only be five rounds this year. In another cost-cutting measure that was proposed long before the work stoppage in the middle of March, 40 minor league teams will be disbanded, which means minor league players could see their careers end this summer.

This is not the only concession the MLBPA is looking for as reported. Other parts of the players’ proposal, sources said, include:

• Expanded playoffs for two years; MLB’s proposal suggests one year of a postseason that goes from 10 teams to 14.
• A salary advance of $100 million to split among players during the so-called “spring training 2.0” that leads up to the regular season.
• Additional commitment to players wearing microphones on the field and other broadcast enhancements. An offer to hold events such as an offseason All-Star Game or Home Run Derby to generate additional revenue.

It’s a trail of continued distress the baseball community continues to deal with, including the Miami Marlins.

While it appears the Miami Marlins will operate this year, regardless of how many games are played, without a minor league season, the franchise announced it will pay its prospects through the end of their seasons.