UPDATE
It appears there will be baseball in 2020, contingent upon the players agreeing to the proposed safety protocols.
MLB released the following statement:
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MLB statement: pic.twitter.com/Jz3rSTvXuU
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 23, 2020
Ken Rosenthal is reporting Manfred will impose a 60-game season.
Source: Owners plan to implement 60-game season once union responds to two questions posed in statement. https://t.co/6Erj1jLpfK
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 23, 2020
Purple Row will continue to follow this story.
(This story has been updated.)
★ ★ ★
The saga continues. According to reports, just before 4:00 PM MT this afternoon, the MLB Players Association voted, 33-5, to reject the owners’ offer.
Sources tell @JeffPassan and I players have voted against the league's latest proposal to play 60 games. The vote was 33-5 against.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 22, 2020
Those voting were one representative per team (Scott Oberg for the Rockies) and eight members of the MLBPA Executive Committee. (Daniel Murphy serves on the committee.)
Michael Cerami reported that the Rockies voted in favor of the proposal:
Per @JesseRogersESPN The Cubs were, in fact, one of the teams who voted to play today. (Rockies and Marlins too).
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) June 22, 2020
Last week, Andy Martino reported that Daniel Murphy was likely to vote yes:
Hearing same as @JonHeyman, that Daniel Murphy is a likely yes vote on the 60 game framework and possibly the only one on MLBPA executive subcommittee.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) June 20, 2020
The owners’ proposal called for a 60-game season, an expanded postseason, and no additional salary guarantees should COVID-19 lead to a cancellation of the season.
Shortly after the vote, the MLBPA released the following statement:
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The Major League Baseball Players Association today released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/1OnFBsoEjd
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 22, 2020
By rejecting the offer, the MLBPA reserves its right to file a grievance claiming that MLB did not negotiate in good faith to ensure a maximum number of games in 2020. The move is widely seen as setting the stage for 2021 when the current CBA expires.
The question now is whether Manfred will mandate a season for the MLBPA, which is his right as part of the March 2020 agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. His decision should arrive soon since the owners are committed to concluding the season by September 27.