2019-2020 MLB Non-Phillies News/Notes Discussion

[zambonir]

I think they'd still have to lose the anti-trust exemption (or we'd have to have a very different federal court system than is currently evolving) for the players to get anywhere with that, but yes, it is definitely coming up.

[andyb]

The players responded with an appeal to play more games (100?) and keep the pro-rated salary. I think the end game they want is to play 100 but get pro-rated pay for 82 or something like that. I assume the 100 would have some 7-inning double headers in there. And the owner reaction is that these double-headers would sell fewer TV ads and of course require expanded rosters - so not too much savings.

I still really think deferred payment is the players' best endgame. 82 games. Pro-rated salaries. Owners might make a little more in the expanded postseason rounds. And 50% of salary gets deferred for a year or two. I think trying to play 100 games is just a pipe dream. As is scheduling 100 games in like 90-100 days with double-headers and few off days. Teams should have close to the normal number of off days or there will just be more injuries.

[zambonir]

And the owner reaction is that these double-headers would sell fewer TV ads and of course require expanded rosters - so not too much savings.

How is that supposed to work anyway? Does the "taxi squad" just get their normal AAA play when they're not on the big league team. I though the 25-man was going to expand to 28 or 30 anyway (which actually will cost the owners some money).

[andyb]

Not sure they spelled it out, but I assumed the 28 or 30-man official roster gets service time and major league pay. Everyone else on the 50 probably gets treated like a 40-man roster regular which is like a $150K minimum. So they would need to pay 10 extra players the 40-man minimum and up to 4 extra players the major league minimum. So that could be another pro-rated $4 or $5 million.

[zambonir]

The player proposal doesn't really make sense to me. Right or wrong, the ownership position is that every game loses money if salaries don't go down. So adding games doesn't help (let alone doubleheaders as you note). And if anything there's going to be excess TV inventory, an expanded schedule isn't going to get you that much more from ESPN as they try to show the NBA and even MLS's tournament.

The only creative way to generate more revenue would be to expand the playoffs rather than the regular season. A play-in round would get TV cash that 18 more regular season games would not.

[zambonir]

Well, it's finally happened. Scott Boras is 100% right.

Boras to clients: Don't 'bail out' MLB owners

"Owners are asking for more salary cuts to bail them out of the investment decisions they have made," Boras said. "If this was just about baseball, playing games would give the owners enough money to pay the players their full prorated salaries and run the baseball organization. The owners' current problem is a result of the money they borrowed when they purchased their franchises, renovated their stadiums or developed land around their ballparks. This type of financing is allowed and encouraged by MLB because it has resulted in significant franchise valuations.

[zambonir]

Here's a diversion

It Took 35 Years, but Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” Is Finally Perfect

[xogfog]

Wow, since when have lyrics had to be 100% correct in their references? I'm not a fan of Springsteen, but jeez, if you can't make the connection that speedball = fastball in the world of poetic license, then you are dense.

[zambonir]

Well it is meant be humorous. It is a thing people have talked about for a long time, be they Springsteen nerds or baseball nerds. And it actually is clunky.

To me the funny part is his (nevertheless correct) nitpick about the fastball vs curve. Though I think that could be better. "Sneak that change-up by you." "Blow that splitter by you...."

[BostonRoss]

He did say he was a professional editor. Obviously not a professional comedy writer, who probably wouldn't spend 1000+ words on a single topic people have talked out for 35 years.

But at least he can find more material. He can take John Fogerty to task for "being" centerfield along with "the Cobb."

[zambonir]

I guess we should also take the "2019" off of this thread, too late to have a new one for 2020 now.

Players’ union cuts off negotiations with MLB, asks commissioner to impose...

We'll see if owners call this bluff and go with a longer season, because the players' last move is to refuse expanded playoff.

[Dirk41]

There is almost guaranteed to be a lengthy strike upcoming after the 2021 season. This has absolute catastrophe written all over it.

[zambonir]

MLB statement

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1271988448166121472

Brandon McCarthy

https://twitter.com/BMcCarthy32/status/1272020145230082048

[Lawman]

Yup. Baseball, MLB and MLBPA (but mostly the owners), had a golden opportunity and blew it. Completely, utterly, and totally.

[Dirk41]

So, a glorified spring training schedule this year, who knows what next year will look like (impossible to imagine full capacity ballparks, but that may just be psychological), MILB up in the air for the foreseeable future, and then a bloodbath of CBA talks to follow.

They had the opportunity to be the first sport back. Instead, this. It's hard to empathize with either side.

[baseballoldie]

Manfred and Dan Halem, especially Halem, need to be removed from their jobs. They are destroying baseball and have no concept how to lead this sport. No doubt neither ever played baseball nor any team sport as collaboration and teamwork is a foreign concept. Halem is leading the labor negotiation and killing minor league baseball at the same time all apparently to put more money in the owners coffers? And Halem negotiates by publicly accusing the players of bad faith because they aren’t agreeing with the MLB proposal to renegotiate a deal they just agreed to 2 months ago? How are the owners so blind to the incompetence leading MLB?

[Lawman]

I think this whole sign stealing concept is more widespread then just the Astros or Red Sox:

https://sports.yahoo.com/astros-players-take-jabs-at-yankees-after-judge-orders-unsealing-of-mlb-signstealing-letter-164310419.html

Members of the Houston Astros took not-so-subtle jabs at the New York Yankees on Saturday morning just hours after a federal judge ordered the unsealing of a 2017 letter that allegedly details “more serious” sign-stealing infractions by New York.

[andyb]

Hopefully Manfred will impose a season of at least 60 games as a compromise, maybe even the 72-game schedule that the owners last proposed. There is a little bit of leverage the players have in that they have not agreed to the expanded playoffs that the owners want. Manfred must realize that a 50 game proposal with the regular playoffs would be seen as ridiculous.

So I think he adds as many games as he can and gets the players to agree on expanded playoffs.

None of this will stop an ugly work stoppage negotiation after 2021, but if Manfred does a little more than the bare minimum it might be seen as the seeds of where the next negotiations can go. I think there is wide consensus among analysts that the players "lost" the last CBA as compensation has not risen as fast as revenues. MLB probably realizes the players deserve more revenue, but have no good way to deliver that short of a salary cap and a defined percent of revenue.

[zambonir]

In the end I'm not sure any of this changes what was already going to be happening in 2022, even if emotions are now a lot more fraught. If 2021 is also a partial or partially attended season, neither side will be able to get near what they want. But the players probably have more leverage - most of them can more easily go another half-season or more without income compared to the owners who, while not poor in any sense, will be desperate to get back to full(ish) stadiums and ancillary revenue, especially the ones who are paying debt service not just on their teams but on real estate projects. If guys like Dewitt dig their heels in and make a strike or lockout more likely, they'll deserve it.

[xogfog]

I'm so frustrated and seemingly an 81 game schedule is the only thing that makes sense and is now probably out of reach, I would just cancel the season and hope there is a vaccine for the virus before next season starts. I think if the owners unilaterally impose a short season, a lot of well to do players will choose to sit out and if they decide to go forward with minor league players to fill the many open roster spots, the season will be even more laughable and nobody will consider it MLB baseball.