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UPDATE - 6/22, 6:10 p.m.
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
More as we get it.
It seems as though this situation is changing by the second. The players had received news of the owners abandoning the 70 game proposal made by the MLBPA and wanted an answer on the 60 games they originally gave them. The players, as of Sunday, didn’t look like they would vote on it and would take their time to mull it over, but then came the first change.
MLB players back to intending to vote on the framework/proposal today, it appears. Situation is fluid though so no guarantee. The idea to pause was a very smart thought but the vote appears to be on because players heard it might take too long to get reliable virus info.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 21, 2020
That seemed to be a different thought than what was assumed. So we waited for most of the day waiting to see the outcome of what that vote would be. As the time ticked by, no word was leaking about which direction the players were leaning, then we started to hear.
There was no vote taken today by the players with the recent outbreak of COVID-19 potentially changing the dynamics of #MLB's 60-game proposal.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 21, 2020
Ah yes, the old ‘rona scuttling plans yet again. Almost as if it should be the lead discussion in any and all negotiations, <shrug> but who am I?
It seems as though one of the reasons for the delay is that Rob Manfred decided that in order to get a move on with the vote, he offered some conciliatory solutions:
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a letter to MLBPA executive director Tony Clark today offering to cancel expanded playoffs and universal DH for 2021 if a full season isn’t played in 2020, sources tell ESPN. Players are concerned about giving up leverage of playoffs for naught.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 21, 2020
Were the season to be lost because the virus took precedence, the players didn’t want their trump card of giving in to expanded playoffs to be played for nothing.
Indeed it does seem as though we are still stuck in neutral. While it seems daft and nonsensical that we are still discussing a potential baseball season in light of all the spikes of positive tests coming to light, but money talks and baseball is trying to make some of it.
In this morning’s piece, Ken Rosenthal details a little more where we stand.
From last night: Manfred reaches out, players abort meeting, progress unclear. With @EvanDrellich: https://t.co/bgP43aXsYk
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 22, 2020