Miami Marlins: MLB owners propose 76-game season for 2020

Will the MLB owners, including Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter, and the players agree on a 76-game schedule for the 2020 baseball season?

It looks as though Major League owners are still attempting to get some semblance of a season together with the idea of playing 76 games in 2020. The Miami Marlins and the other 29 teams are patiently waiting to see if this will be the last time an offer is put on the table, or will the 2020 season be scrapped altogether.

Per CBS Sports, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) continued negotiations for a modified 2020 season on Monday. The league delivered its latest proposal to the MLBPA outlining another option for the season, according to ESPN’s Karl Ravech. Per Ravech, the league’s proposal calls for a 76-game regular season that would end on Sept. 27 with a postseason finishing up by the end of October.

What is included in this proposal is…

• A 75 percent prorated salary
• 76 game season
• Playoff pool money
• No draft pick compensation for signing players for the first time in 45 years
• The regular season would begin around July 10 and conclude September 27; the postseason would conclude at the end of October.

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This is as close the MLBPA may get to play half a season. The last offer by the MLBPA called for a 114-game season which was immediately vetoed by MLB owners, including the Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter.

Moving toward the second full week of June and the idea of putting players on the field becomes less of a possibility. It is believed the players will need as much as a month of camp to prepare for the regular season. It also means the idea of an expanded roster and taxi squad for minor league prospects must be further examined.

The issue of money has been the major obstacle holding up a potential season, as the two sides volley back and forth over what is considered fair compensation.

“The Players Association, meanwhile, has held firm that it wants prorated salaries for players based on the number of games played in 2020,” Katherine Acquavella and R.J. Anderson write. “The two sides agreed to this arrangement in March, but the league has pushed players to take another pay cut since games are likely to be played without fans.”

While MLB is slowly moving toward getting players back in team facilities to work on preparation for the 2020 season, the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is still a real issue not only with baseball but other professional sports. The NHL and NBA are working on getting their sports back in arenas. The NFL is still planning on the 2020 season with or without fans. Golf and NASCAR have already begun play again.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, the Player’s Association has been asked to offer their answer to the owners by Wednesday to move this along at a more brisk pace.

“With each day that passes without an official agreement between the two sides, the length of the 2020 season decreases, and the prospect of a 48-game season becoming more likely, Passan reports,” Acquavella and R.J. Anderson added.

Also part of the MLB owners proposal is an expanded 16-team playoff format.