COVID-19 impact on MLB season

[owbc]

Rumored revenue sharing between the players and league? Now you have my attention. Supposedly the owners only want it for one year, but the players have all the leverage right now.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Rumored revenue sharing between the players and league? Now you have my attention. Supposedly the owners only want it for one year, but the players have all the leverage right now.

 

If this situation could be the impetus that leads to some kind of revenue sharing agreement and salary cap structure, that could be a silver lining. MLB is always going to be about the "haves" and "have nots" until they fix that.

[wildcat83]

MLB draft has been reduced to 5 rounds and teams can sign unlimited undrafted players for $20,000.

 

To me 5 rounds seems really short.

[crossface21]

MLB draft has been reduced to 5 rounds and teams can sign unlimited undrafted players for $20,000.

 

To me 5 rounds seems really short.

 

Travesty for the sport. This really screws kids that would be trying to get drafted this year. It'll strengthen college programs in the short term-if there are any. But this also really gives an advantage to the larger market teams. They can sign as many as they'd like. Now there may be some guys that see a team already has a bunch of OF so why sign with them for example, but overall the large market teams will be able to bring in more guys.

 

I also heard on the radio that 4th and 5th round guys will be pressured to sign for less than the slot money allocated or they'll be told to go and take the $20,000 instead or go to college(again, will there be programs?)

[pacopete4]

I’ve always thought the MLB draft was too long to begin with but 5 rounds seems short. They should be around 10 in my opinion.

[JohnBriggs12]

48% of all Covid-19 deaths in Illinois are from long term care facilities because the governor and mayor were more focused on shaming healthy people walking on the lakefront than testing nursing home workers. 66% of people who've died in NY contracted it at home indoors. So much for protecting the most vulnerable. The idea that healthy fit athletes playing a sport outdoors can't be protected and tested regularly for what is for them an extremely low risk to their overall health is ludicrous.

[wildcat83]

I’ve always thought the MLB draft was too long to begin with but 5 rounds seems short. They should be around 10 in my opinion.

 

That’s what I thought too. There has to be a decent amount of 6-10 guys that pan out. Once you get past 10 it’s a crap shoot anyways.

 

It will be real curious to see which teams sign the most of the guys projected 6-7 that just missed being drafted. My guess is this is not good for Milwaukee. We’re obviously more attractive now than in the past but you’d think big market, warm weather teams will come out ahead.

[MadThinker88]

The Brewers would have had another pick (Competitive Balance Round B) but the Crew dealt the pick as part of the package to get Omar Narvaez..

 

Good thing Omar isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season...

[sveumrules]

It will be real curious to see which teams sign the most of the guys projected 6-7 that just missed being drafted. My guess is this is not good for Milwaukee. We’re obviously more attractive now than in the past but you’d think big market, warm weather teams will come out ahead.

 

I would guess most undrafted HS kids that just miss out on being drafted will just go to college & take their chances rather than settle for $20,000.

 

Since the money is going to be the same for all undrafted players, a team like Milwaukee with more opportunity available due to a weak farm system might end up having an advantage.

[3and2Fastball]

The reason the draft is so long is because the bigtime prospects need teams and leagues to compete against while developing in the minors.

[jerichoholicninja]

Is there a chance some of the highest paid players in baseball will be asked to take a pay cut or deferral the next couple years? I'm sure that teams will have enough to pay them but not the rest of the guys they will need to fill out a halfway decent roster. Just looking at the Nats, not sure exactly how the deferrals work out but they will be paying Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin $90M total the next few years. That's over half their current payroll for just those 3. Then they have arby raises or extensions for Turner and Soto.

[JohnBriggs12]

The reason the draft is so long is because the bigtime prospects need teams and leagues to compete against while developing in the minors.

 

Exactly and it's probably a more efficient and balanced way to continuously restock the bottom levels of the minor leagues. There's always guys that given the chance to play professionally that break through. Not every player develops at the same place physically or mentally.

[pacopete4]

Why couldn’t those players after let’s say 10 rounds, be free agents to be signed that restock the minors?

[MVP2110]

[adambr2]

I almost always side with players over owners in labor disputes, but I have zero, absolutely zero sympathy with either side if labor disputes, not COVID-19, keep the '20 season from getting off the ground.

[nate82]

And the players union do not want revenue sharing so this deal is dead unless the players vote differently than what Tony Clark is saying.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-players-union-boss-rips-leagues-proposed-revenue-sharing-plan-for-2020-season/

[MrTPlush]

Why couldn’t those players after let’s say 10 rounds, be free agents to be signed that restock the minors?

 

Sure it could, but why? Is there really anything wrong with the current system?

 

The later rounds of a draft are certainly not garbage filler exclusively. Countless HOFers, All Stars, and contributing players happen throughout the draft. I don’t see anything wrong with the current system.

 

I’m not sure teams are ever really drafting guys knowing they will just be filler...it’s just most end up just being that. Intriguing guys go off the board throughout the Top 20 or even Top 30 rounds. The last 10 rounds can seem somewhat useless with teams drafting guys as an honor (Elite HS guys already committed to go to college, coaches sons, etc.), but teams are certainly still drafting MLB guys in the 30s.

 

To me 40 rounds is a solid number.

[owbc]

I have no doubt they will come to a compromise, otherwise everyone gets paid $0 and that will not happen. But when it comes down to it the owners signed guaranteed contracts and the players are the ones taking a risk to play during a pandemic. They still have several weeks to work out the terms.

[rickh150]

The players are not getting their contracted money now, correct? I believe they are just getting a small percentage, as of right now. They will get a full year of service time no matter what happens this season, I believe.

[folly412]

Believe the earlier agreement was pro-rated pay for the players. They'd make their fixed contractual rate based on the amount of season played. Owners now want to make the rate variable as a revenue share. Seems like they have a lot of work to do to come to an agreement.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Believe the earlier agreement was pro-rated pay for the players. They'd make their fixed contractual rate based on the amount of season played. Owners now want to make the rate variable as a revenue share. Seems like they have a lot of work to do to come to an agreement.

 

Since it's likely no revenues come in with ticket sales or game day concessions/gate at ballparks if no fans attend games, revenues are pretty much tv money only and for broadcasting games and merchandising, yes? Plus teams will be paying back alot of ticketholders refunds for money theyve already spent on operating expenses from offseason ticket sales. If that's the case it's no wonder owners want to adjust payment terms to be a revenue share for this season, because tv money alone isnt going to amount to much revenue spread across the whole league. Some markets, sure...but most teams' tv deals only amount to 25-40% of their roster payroll. If owners have to shell out prorated contracts to all players based on how many games the season is, owners probably will just nix the season and players wont get anything more than what their last agreement pays them through May.

 

It would be stupid losing a whole season to this...both the players and owners are going to lose alot of money this year no matter what - but then again so are most Americans. If there is no season because players and owners can't reach an agreement, it will be a disaster for the sport. Large scale cancellations of youth level baseball this summer is already bad enough - this would be a travesty and I hope both parties understand that.

[jerichoholicninja]

The players are not getting their contracted money now, correct? I believe they are just getting a small percentage, as of right now. They will get a full year of service time no matter what happens this season, I believe.

 

I would hope they are getting only a small stipend since they aren't providing the services that they are contracted for. If they are getting their full pay then teams are going to go bankrupt pretty quickly.

[jerichoholicninja]

Believe the earlier agreement was pro-rated pay for the players. They'd make their fixed contractual rate based on the amount of season played. Owners now want to make the rate variable as a revenue share. Seems like they have a lot of work to do to come to an agreement.

 

It would be stupid losing a whole season to this...both the players and owners are going to lose alot of money this year no matter what - but then again so are most Americans. If there is no season because players and owners can't reach an agreement, it will be a disaster for the sport. Large scale cancellations of youth level baseball this summer is already bad enough - this would be a travesty and I hope both parties understand that.

 

What will be interesting is the inner-discussions of the union. All 30 owners want to play, they have major financial reasons for there to be a season. On the other hand, a good portion of the MLBPA will be just fine financially getting paid peanuts if there is no 2020. And I'm sure a lot of those players are quite happy sitting at home with their families and not out risking getting sick. I would not blame those guys one bit for playing hardball and making some serious financial demands to play this year. Will their voices outweigh the 4A and pre-arby guys who are not so well off financially? Is the 2020 season played with all "scrubs" because of this?

[MVP2110]

My guess is they argue for a few days and by the end of this week or the beginning of next week some sort of agreement is reached. Like someone above said, if there are no games this year then nobody makes any $.

 

I mean 50/50 sounds fair for a one season deal but I get why the players feel slighted, since a deal had already been agreed too. I'm sure something will eventually happen

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It would be cool if they could somehow do a social distance tailgate of some kind if there end up being no-fan games at MP. Obviously don't fill the lot, let a few hundred cars in with plenty of space. It would be a cool way to involve the fans...charge $5 and do 50/50 with some virus relief fund or something. Maybe more and throw in the t-shirts they've been selling.

 

I think there is a safe way to do it as long as it's scaled back. It could also get people used to going to these things again. Maybe not right off the bat but an idea down the road.