MLB, umpires agree on pay structure for 2020 season

Major League Baseball and its umpires have agreed on a pay structure for the 2020 season that includes a 50% pay cut for May and guarantees umpires about a third of their salaries if only one regular-season game is played this year, according to ESPN.

"We are pleased we reached this agreement with the commissioner's office," Major League Baseball Umpires Association president Bill Miller said in a statement. "We love the great game of baseball. We look forward to being part of bringing it back to the fans as America and the world recover."

The league and its umpires had reportedly been engaged in heated negotiations regarding a salary scheme for what's expected to be a shortened 2020 campaign. The two sides struck a deal late Thursday, sources told Ben Walker of The Associated Press.

Umpires have already been paid from January through April. They will receive a prorated portion of their salaries based on games played over a 182-day season, according to a term sheet obtained by Walker.

MLB was reportedly hoping to cut umpires' regular-season salaries by 35% if games are played this year.

As part of the deal, MLB reserves the right not to use instant replay of umpires' decision during the 2020 campaign; the league is reportedly considering staging regular-season games at spring training parks that do not have replay review capabilities.

There is no timetable for MLB's return, but the league reportedly hopes to have a season plan in place by the end of May, with most officials estimating that Opening Day will occur at some point between mid-June and early July.