The league and players have come to an important agreement. It encompasses a number of things impacting this season. First, it’s been agreed that, however much of the season ultimately gets played, the players get a full year of service time. With that concession from MLB, the MLBPA was willing to work with the rest. Both sides appear to have understood squabbling over money right now would be a very bad look. I did not see where/if the agreement addressed minor leaguers about to make the jump to the bigs—ie, whether there’s the usual you-don’t-get-a-year-of-service-time-if-you-play-the-first-two-weeks-in-the-minors. It’d be easier for teams right now to just leave said players in the minors until next year.
Players will receive prorated salaries once the season starts, whenever that is. Meanwhile, $170M will be distributed to the players via the MLBPA. I saw no specifics on how the money would be split other than those not currently on guaranteed contracts won’t get as much. Regardless, what is received will be deducted from the prorated pay, again whenever that commences. In turn, the MLBPA agreed they will not file a grievance to try to get everyone’s full salaries paid.
Right now they are looking toward re-starting preseason camps in May and maybe the season itself in June. Also discussed and likely to happen is the regular season pushing into October and playoffs in November, possibly in neutral (read: warm weather) sites. The training camps and season are likely to start with empty stadia should this come to fruition—less than ideal, but the lions’ share of MLB income is TV money, so this would work for that. I presume empty stadiums would mean no local blackout rules too.
Previously reported agreements mere mentioned again today—the draft is to be in July, and probably shortened this year to 5 rounds or so. There will be more double headers—they want to get in at least 100 games if they can.
There was no word on the All-Star game. Personally, I’d either skip it or move it to postseason.
One last nugget to chew on…since the players get a year of service time even if ultimately it’s decided to cancel the season entirely, Mookie Betts could end up a free agent without ever taking the field at Chavez Ravine in Dodger blue.
Fan Interference 
I was working on a post I was going to title “Nostradumbass: There Will Be a Season, and This Is What It Will Look Like”—the agreement announced today involved most of what I was going to say, which…good. I had thought the league championship series might get shortened to best of 5, good if that proves an unnecessary change. I was also going to predict July 1 as the new opening day—I hope the June time frame they’re bandying about becomes reality. Watching live games on TV, even if in empty stadia, would be huge for morale.
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Definitely important caveats that weren’t in his earlier article.
Nonetheless, I think they’ll find a way to make it feasible in the end. If they can’t, I’ll understand, but optimism is part of my own morale.
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Cheap ass big ass TV’s. Studio baseball. Why not. Could be a cream dream for the stat heads. Not much else to watch. Could be better than they think (ratings – advertising) for the trust fund pukes.
The alternative. I’ve been watching NUMB3RS as an alternative. The physicist, looking pained and troubled is asked, “is everything okay?” He replies, “everything, I’m not sure about all matter”.
This caused me to wonder, when a lonely negatively charged atom bonds with a positively charged atom, is it like a binary gender thing? Is the result of their procreative union a molecule?
I mean what is gravity? Shit is attracted to other shit? WTF is that?
PLAY BALL!!!
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How the hell can they call it a “work stoppage” when they haven’t even begun working yet?
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