The proposal now has to be negotiated with the MLBPA. The basic idea is to kick off renewed spring training in June and the regular season in early July. The plan would be to have a roughly 82 games season.
There are a number of ideas being bandied about, some obvious, some likely to be met with animosity from a lot of fans, some weird and hopefully only one-off oddities.
The schedule is expected to involve mostly intradivision games…and games from the same region. That means, to cut down travel costs and headaches, NL v AL East/Central/West more so than games against other teams from other divisions in their own league. That’d be an artificial boost to the Central division teams, and suck for the NL East.
Games are expected to be in empty stadiums, duh. Some areas may still not be open for sports, and teams calling cities in those areas home may have to play in neutral sites or use their spring training home. The one team I saw named was the Blue Jays’ maybe playing home games in Dunedin. No smart aleck remarks about the Rays being used to playing in an empty stadium allowed.
The proposal also apparently involves 14 playoff teams this year. This is an idea I dislike. While it makes a little sense in that half as many regular season games definitely means more randomness to the standings. Still, it also means it’s more likely to have a losing team get into the crap shoot that is the playoffs. It’s also an idea that Manfred has kicked around as a possibility for normal seasons, so here’s a place where the term “slippery slope” may have merit.
The next one is likely to give Old Gator indigestion. The proposal involves universal use of the DH. I’m on record preferring that pitchers hit too, and actually like that the AL and NL are different. As a one-off, if they must use regional scheduling, then it makes some sense though…for this year only.
They’re also talking more double headers. I’ve no issue per se there. However, the idea of starting a runner on base in, maybe, to 12th inning to avoid marathon games, is anathema to me. Yuck.
Of course, there will also have to be agreements on roster sizes (they’re expected to be expanded) and pay. The two sides previously agreed that players will get full-year service time credit. The All Star Game won’t happen. All the previous things about testing, etc, relating to player and staff health discussed in previous posts also still apply, of course.
Fan Interference 
How does this not end up as a strike?
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1) Expanded rosters
2) Players getting full year of service time credit
Those are both appealing enticements to the MLBPA.
Playing (mostly) in home stadiums helps too—the players did not like the hub idea, housing everyone in hotels around Phoenix and away from families.
Still up in the air: MLB previously agreed to pay players pro-rated percentage of their contract.. The current proposal apparently talks of a 50-50 monetary split between players and owners for the year. As a percentage over a normal year, that’s an increase—MLB players have been getting 38-40% of revenues. However, with loss of gate receipts and roster expansion, that might work out as less per player. That’ll have to be worked out.
They’ll also have to hash out what to do with a player who still doesn’t want to play because of health concerns or family concerns—say a player whose wife has diabetes or asthma, for example. My guess would be some sort of leave of absence, but that has to be negotiated too—do they get service time? Paid?
Even with that, I expect it’ll get worked out because:
3) Neither the players or owners in the end want the bad PR that is guaranteed to follow any sort of work stoppage that the media would portray as an argument over money.
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Better written than my post or response to your question, and zero surprise there at all, is an article from Jeff Passan on https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29161983/passan-20-questions-why-financial-battle-2020-mlb-season-get-really-really-ugly
…and I’ve learned a new acronym: BATNA
The BATNA for both the owners and players is really bad, therefore I expect a negotiated agreement and season for 2020.
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I am very opposed to the universal DH. I really don’t understand why having differences between the leagues vexes people so. Leave it be.
I HATE the expanded post-season and I have no idea why Manfred wants to listen to even more talk about how no one watches baseball playoffs. Who wants to be a joke like the NFL? They stop being a regular and post-seasons and become varsity & tournaments. Does MLB want to be the NCAA? The post-season isn’t some thing you have to really qualify for, so much as buy an invite. I really hate sports leagues.
And don’t get me started on that runner starting from 2B bullshit!!!
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But, Ma’am, I’m not on your lawn!
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Bring on the DH! DH FOR LIFE BABY!!!
Ok, I don’t really care about it that much, but I love that it riles so many people up. I do say that starting someone on second base is some beer league bullshit and I want no part of that. Also 14 teams is too much, and that’s not about fairness or balance or anything other than being able to sell Prime Time Advertisement.
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