MLB players: Teams are 'depriving America of baseball games'

Major League Baseball and its players' association are struggling to come to an agreement regarding the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the players are beginning to get more frustrated with league commissioner Rob Manfred and team owners.

The MLBPA's chief negotiator, Bruce Meyer, sent a letter to deputy commissioner Dan Halem on Friday saying that an attempt to play games without an agreement could lead to players blocking any attempt to expand the playoffs, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). 

Other leagues around the United States are gearing up to return to action in the coming weeks and months after striking agreements, and that's frustrating MLB players as they continue to fight for fair pay and a season with a reasonable amount of games amid the pandemic, as Meyer wrote:

"The league's cynical tactic of depriving America of baseball games in furtherance of their demand for unwarranted salary concessions is shortsighted and troubling. Meanwhile, other leagues are moving forward with their plans for resumption."

MLB initially proposed an 82-game regular season back in May with a sliding scale of pay cuts, and the players' association responded with a proposal for a 114-game campaign running through October with no additional salary cuts. The league denied the players' counterproposal, and while negotiations are still taking place, both sides are hoping to begin the season at some point in July. 

MLB, hopefully, will reach a deal, but if not, plenty of other sports will be in action across the country ... and that's going to hurt baseball as a whole.

The NBA is set to resume at the end of July with a 22-team format at Walt Disney World in which games will run through October. Similarly, the NHL agreed to a 24-team playoff format, and while the league is still ironing out a few minor details, games could be played as early as the end of July. Major League Soccer is prepared to return to the pitch in Orlando as well.

In terms of women's sports, the National Women's Soccer League will be holding a tournament in Utah running from mid-June through mid-July, and the WNBA is considering playing games at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.