Report: MLBPA preparing 'outlandish' proposal
The Major League Baseball Players' Association is planning to bring forward a counterproposal to MLB for the 2020 season that will include several unique wrinkles, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
However, it's described as "outlandish" by Passan, who adds that it's likely to be rejected by MLB, just as the players rejected the league's previous proposal.
Players will reportedly ask for a 100-game season instead of 82. Additionally, they will continue to ask for their prorated 2020 salaries. Owners don't want more games this season and also continue to balk at prorating player salaries, according to Passan.
The players' proposal hasn't yet been submitted to MLB, though it's expected to happen in the coming days.
An MLBPA memo obtained by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic indicated that the proposal hasn't been submitted in part because the union wants to time its response properly. There is also concern that the league hasn't opened its books to display its claims of financial losses related to the COVID-19 stoppage.
"Importantly, the union still awaits key documents from MLB that would support the dubious financial distress claims the league has made in its attempt to force the additional givebacks from players," the memo read, according to Rosenthal.
Negotiations between MLB and the players' association have reached something of a standstill in recent weeks. Many players have openly voiced their criticism of the league's proposal, which included significant pay cuts in 2020.