We likely won’t see Chicago Cubs baseball this year. It’s as simple as that.
Major League Baseball and the MLBPA continue to play chicken. The clock is ticking. Worst case scenario? No Chicago Cubs baseball in 2020. And with the CBA expiring in 2021? It’s not going to be good. Throw in the ‘sliding pay scale,’ or players not being paid this year? Yikes.
The COVID-19 pandemic will map it out. Is the coronavirus present? No baseball. Simple as that. It’s as economical as it is dangerous. The postseason? Only if that’s the only way. You could select the teams from a hat and go from there.
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And if we get to say 50 or 75 games, but ‘high-priced’ players aren’t playing (as is their right)? Mike Trout says he’s not sure since his wife is due in August. The season with no Trout? I don’t know about you, but Trout’s the only American League player I like. Seriously.
And with the slated July/August start date? Trout isn’t sure what he wants to do. He takes his baseball career seriously – but he puts more faith in the birth of his baby boy. And he’s not the only player who feels that way, either.
It’s getting late in the year, and the news from Karl Ravech this morning is just the latest step in this back-and-forth. This new proposal from the league includes another postseason expansion – and ties additional player compensation to the completion of the postseason.
Do you know what I think about it? It’s sucks. Seventy-five percent prorated salary with a 76 game season? Bleh. It’s not hard to see the players saying no to the proposal. Twitter users are split on it. I favor ‘against’ it. If you really want to get things done? Take the plan – but I wouldn’t recommend it.
The players should be in charge, not the owners. Look, have they ever opened up their books? For anyone? No. And the players should have a salary cap, but I digress. If their 2021 CBA allows it – not going to happen – they’ll open up their books and show people what they have been ‘hiding.’