MLB money wrangle overshadowing slated start

Now that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has exercised his right to arbitrarily declare the pandemic-shortened 2020 season will consist of 60 games, attention is shifting back to the issue of prorated player salaries.

Manfred is using a March agreement between the owners and the players' union to mandate the number of games played so long as players get their prorated salaries. For 60 games－with a projected launch in late July－they'll get 37 percent of their 162-game salary.

After the executive board of the players' union voted 33-5 to reject the 60-game proposal, MLB released a statement saying it was disappointed that a deal couldn't be struck and asked the union to provide two pieces of information needed to start the season: Whether players can report to training camp by July 1 and whether they will agree to the so-called "operating manual" for the season, which contains health and safety.

Here is MLB's statement in its entirety:

"Today, the Major League Baseball Players Association informed us that they have rejected the agreement framework developed by commissioner Manfred and (union head) Tony Clark. Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development.

"The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic.

"It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new postseason format, and it offered players significant benefits, including: the universal DH (designated hitter) for two years; a guaranteed $25 million in playoff pools in 2020;$33 million in forgiven salary advances that would increase the take-home pay of 61 percent of MLB players; overall earnings for players of 104 percent of prorated salary.

"In view of this rejection, MLB clubs have unanimously voted to proceed with the 2020 season under the terms of the March 26 agreement. The provisions listed above will not be operative."

A season of 60 games is in line with the owners' last proposal, which the union countered with 70 games. The situation got more complicated after more than 40 players and MLB staff tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, forcing all spring training sites to be shuttered.

Still, the main stumbling block is money.

For every Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole (MLB's two highest-paid stars at $36 million each), there are dozens of players making the league minimum of $563,000.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, around 530 of MLB's roughly 1,200 players (42 percent) will be paid $100,000 or less for the abbreviated season after declining the deal and forgoing the $33 million in salary forgiveness against the $170 million advanced to the players in March.

Trout will still pull in $14 million to play 60 games for the Los Angeles Angels and Cole will get the same from the New York Yankees, with more than a dozen other stars pocketing at least $10 million, but the union rank-and-file will certainly take a major pay hit.

An additional hit comes when you take into account that the players will have to pay back the March salary advance when games start, meaning those making the minimum will see their 162-game salaries of $563,000 whittled down to less than $100,000 for 60 games.

Meanwhile, Cole could make his Yankees debut in a tasty opening-day treat for fans, facing Juan Soto and World Series champion Washington at Nationals Park.

The Yankees and Nationals are set to meet if the virus-delayed season begins next month as planned, a source told Associated Press on Saturday. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because there hasn't been an official announcement. The New York Post first reported the matchup.

Cole signed a $324-million, nine-year contract with the Yankees as a free agent in December.

The Yankees are hopeful that slugger Aaron Judge has fully recovered from a rib injury that bothered him during spring training.

murraygreig@chinadaily.com.cn