MLB Players Association reportedly proposes ban on player prop bets

Legalized sports gambling has unleashed a Pandora's box that has seen everything from players get in trouble for betting on games or taking part in betting scandals, to players being on on the receiving end of harassment and threats from gamblers for not performing well enough.

That has led to the Major League Baseball Players Association proposing a ban on all individual player prop bets.

ESPN's David Purdum reported on Thursday evening that the union made that proposal as part of a hopeful joint effort with the league.

MLB players union wants to ban individual player prop bets

Here are the main nuts-and-bolts of the proposal, from ESPN:

During collective-bargaining negotiations with Major League Baseball, the MLBPA suggested a joint lobbying effort with the league to pursue a prohibition on prop betting at sportsbooks and with daily fantasy operators. Event contracts at prediction markets that are centered on individual player performance also would be prohibited, according to the source.

The ban would include all prop bets on individual players, placed before or during a game, including popular offerings such as the odds for a player to hit a home run.

This is something that players would probably welcome with open arms, if for no other reason than it would avoid the harassment they receive from fans who lost money because somebody didn't hit a home run in the right at-bat or did not strike out enough batters. 

Sports gambling has become a major industry that has taken over every aspect of games, and it has become nearly impossible to consume a game in person or on TV without being bludgeoned over the head with endless sports book advertisements. While there has always been a layer of gambling to professional sports, it was typically done under-the-radar and on a much smaller scale. It was never openly advertised and something you could do with the touch of a phone screen. That ease, combined with the amount of money that has been lost, creates an angry subset of fans. 

Even angrier than fantasy sports players that are simply trying to win their league. 

But there's another layer to this that would probably be beneficial for both the players and the league: It would not only help curb anger from gamblers, it would also remove some incentive for players to take part in gambling schemes. 

That has also been a problem in sports, and it has made headlines recently as Brandon Sorsby attempts to force his way into the NFL after admitting a gambling addiction that included him betting on games involving teams he played for. 

Last season two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, were indicted on charges related to a pitch-rigging scheme that saw them throw intentional balls to help win first-pitch prop bets.

There is still a long way to go in talks between the league and union so we are a long way from getting a solution on this, but it is clear the players are tired of dealing with the negative impacts that have come from people being able to legally wager large sums of money on their performance.