Summer forecast: It looks like baseball is coming back
Baseball is … back?
Not quite, but Wednesday's flow of information finally pointed to the end of weeks of ill will between the owners and players and the beginning of a new deal that should bring Major League Baseball back in late July.
A final agreement has yet to be reached, but MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is feeling confident the two sides are going to come together.
A day after flying to Arizona and meeting face-to-face with MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, Manfred issued an optimistic statement Wednesday:
"We left (Tuesday's) meeting with a jointly developed framework that we agreed could form the basis of an agreement and subject to conversations with our respective constituents. I summarized that framework numerous times in the meeting and sent Tony a written summary (Wednesday).
"Consistent with our conversations (Tuesday), I am encouraging the clubs to move forward and I trust Tony is doing the same."
So, what is the "jointly developed framework" Manfred and Clark agreed on?
According to USA Today, owners and the MLBPA are OK with playing a 60-game regular season, starting on July 19.
Players will receive full prorated salaries, which has been a major sticking point between the two sides.
With no fans in the stands to start the season (and likely longer), owners sought to break their late March agreement with the union. Instead of prorated salaries, they pushed revenue sharing or sliding salary cuts.
The MLBPA hasn't budged off its desire to be paid prorated salaries, especially since they'll be taking the health risks coming back during the coronavirus pandemic.
Owners have apparently agreed to pay full fare, but players are still understandably skeptical.
"(I'll) believe it when I see it," Cubs catcher Willson Contreras tweeted Wednesday.
That's quite a different tone from Monday, when Contreras tweeted: "What a JOKE."
During last week's draft, Manfred said: "We're going to play baseball in 2020, 100%."
On Monday, Manfred came back with: "I'm not confident (we can play). I think there's real risk and as long as there's no dialogue, that real risk is going to continue. It's just a disaster for our game, absolutely no question about it. It shouldn't be happening, and it's important that we find a way to get past it and get the game back on the field for the benefit of our fans."
Having a productive meeting with Clark was a huge step in getting baseball back on the field, and a deal could be announced as soon as Friday.
Before that happens, the union is likely to counter with a longer regular season.
Health protocols and an expanded postseason have been discussed at length, and they need to be formalized, but it finally looks like there will be baseball sooner than later.