MLB News and Notes: Major Losses This Season

Another week goes by, and Major League Baseball and most all other major sports continue to be shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the shutdown, it appears that baseball is increasingly moving towards a return to play as both the league and the player’s union work on compromises on what a shortened season should look like.
With the idea that baseball could be back in just a couple of months, let’s take a look at some of the news stories from around the league this week.
Projected $4 Billion To Be Lost This Season
One of the biggest concerns on the owner’s side moving forward is how much they will have to pay the players. Even though the players each have contracts that they have agreed to prorate, the owners feel that the financial burden of lost income might make even the prorated contracts unreasonable.
The owners will lose money simply from having fewer games, but it goes beyond that. Even the games that are played will likely be without fans, meaning no ticket gates, concessions, or any of the other ways in which teams generated revenue from gamedays.
According to The Associated Press, the total impact appears to be quite large. The league submitted a document to the player’s union, stating that it projected to lose over $4 billion this season based on an 82-game season.
The issue now is who should have to feel the brunt of this financial loss. Should it be the players, who have already given in a little by agreeing to prorated contracts? Or should it be the teams who agreed to the contracts in the first place with the players and should still be responsible for their end no matter the circumstances?
Medical Protocols Proposed
Aside from the financial component, the other major concern in the return to play planning is simply the health of the players, coaches and team personnel. Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that to address this, the league has submitted a 67-page document to the player’s union detailing their plans in regards to health and safety.
Everything from masks being utilized everywhere from on the field to social distancing expectations is covered in this document. It also discusses testing for players and even what to do if someone does become sick.
The document will still need to be approved by the player’s union, but it is likely a good start in what has become one of the bigger concerns for the players when it comes to returning to play.
Could MLB Season Go On Without Some Stars?
As both the financial and health concerns loom, it will be interesting to see if there are players that refuse to play under the current conditions. Commissioner Rob Manfred alluded to the idea and said that players would not be penalized if they did not feel comfortable.
There have already been players who have spoken out with concerns. For instance, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell has voiced concerns about a further pay cut beyond the agreed-upon prorated salaries.
His argument is that the health risks are high, higher than ever before. With the idea of risk versus reward, why should the reward be lower for players if the risk is higher?
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper supported this idea. While he did not threaten sitting out this season, he seems to be like many of the players who have legitimate concerns.
Through all of this, it is evident that there is still a lot to be worked through when it comes to the league and the players, but at least they are at the table, and both sides likely have too much to lose to let this be a completely lost season.