Double dose of bad news for major-league baseball
Not a good day on the major-league baseball front.
Earlier Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies closed their spring camp in Clearwater, Fla., due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
In a statement, the Phillies said five players and three staff members tested positive for coronavirus.
Philadelphia's managing partner, John Middleton, said the training complex is close "indefinitely, until medical authorities are confident that the virus is under control and our facilities are disinfected."
The Toronto Blue Jays, who have their complex in nearby Dunedin, Fla., also shut down camp after a player tested positive for COVID-19.
According to The Wall Street Journal, five other unnamed major-league teams have also had players test positive since June 5.
The news of the day was equally dim Friday night as MLB tries salvaging a shortened season.
The owners are prepared to pay players full prorated salaries, but they only want 60 regular season games before moving into an expanded playoffs.
Players have been dug in on getting prorated pay, but they want a 70-game season.
That's not going to happen, according to MLBPA executive director Tony Clark.
"MLB has informed the Association that it will not respond to our last proposal and will not play more than 60 games," Clark said in a statement Friday night. "Our executive board will convene in the near future to determine next steps. Importantly, players remain committed to getting back to work as soon as possible."
Manfred is authorized to implement a season even shorter than 60 games if there is no agreement.
On Tuesday, Manfred met with Clark in Arizona and left town confident owners and players had a deal.
"We left the meeting with a jointly developed framework that we agreed could form the basis of an agreement and subject to conversations with our respective constituents," Manfred said. "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."
Clark immediately denied the two sides had a framework, but baseball has bigger problems than just money at the moment.