For baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, each day without an agreement is a day closer to no baseball this season. Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Report: MLBPA proposal to MLB sent talks 'backwards'

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jun 18, 2020 4:21 PM ET

The latest offer from the Major League Baseball Players Association to start the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic may have set talks back a step between the union and owners.

On Thursday, reports emerged that the MLBPA countered a proposal from owners and requested a 70-game regular season with fully prorated salaries and a split of playoff revenues.

Earlier this week, owners submitted a 60-game plan to players with prorated pay.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that every game played amounts to roughly $25 million in player salaries:

Each game is worth ~$25M in total player salaries, according to estimates by those on the players’ side. That averages out to ~$833K per club per game. https://t.co/nNOVl29WB4
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 18, 2020

While a difference of 10 games theoretically shouldn't be a breaking point for either side, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times indicated owners weren't pleased with the offer the MLBPA called "the basis for an agreement on resumption of play:"

Source on owners' side, asked whether today's MLBPA proposal might move toward resolution: "It went backwards."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 18, 2020

On Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported spring training sessions could resume by June 29, with July 19 targeted for Opening Day if the owners and players signed off on a plan by the end of Friday.

Shaikin's tweet leads one to believe that's now wishful thinking as of Thursday afternoon.

The MLBPA has also clarified there is no "tentative agreement or other agreement" between it and owners heading into Friday:

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark today released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/MNAVfzx75C
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 18, 2020

Meanwhile, players have tweeted owners to tell them "when and where" to report for season preparations.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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