• The KillerFrogs

2020 MLB Thread

FBallFan123

Active Member
I’m fully expecting not to watch any baseball at this point. Really hope I’m wrong.

I went from basically expecting we’d have baseball to viewing it about 50/50 to now thinking it’s more likely there won’t be season.

And I no longer think MLB will be the first team sport to come back.

If the NBA returns, maybe MLB will follow their lead...but I don’t see MLB being the first.

Would love to be wrong.
 

FBallFan123

Active Member
I kinda disagree with Passan here ... it would not be a good look for them to fight over money, but I think the players can always deflect some criticism by saying “health/safety” is the reason even if the real reason is money.

Such as Doolittle did in flurry of tweets right before negotiators started

 
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FBallFan123

Active Member


Agent Scott Boras, who represents about 100 major league players, told USA TODAY Sports that all of his players are prepared to play right now and are willing to squeeze in as many as 124 regular-season games through October.

On one condition.

They will not accept a penny less than the prorated salaries they agreed to following negotiations with the owners on March 26
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member


Agent Scott Boras, who represents about 100 major league players, told USA TODAY Sports that all of his players are prepared to play right now and are willing to squeeze in as many as 124 regular-season games through October.

On one condition.

They will not accept a penny less than the prorated salaries they agreed to following negotiations with the owners on March 26


If it's that black and white then the season is over. I have a hard time believing the two sides are that stubborn but I could be wrong. Would be a truly awful look for ALL involved.
 

Purp

Active Member
This is so stupid. Why bite the hand that feeds you when it's offering more than it ever has before? Players have always gotten the short end IMO on salaries, but I'm stunned they think the 50/50 split of revenue is an unfair or unreasonable offer. They're idiotic to not take that and then use it as a starting point for the next CBA. They get nowhere close to 50% of revenue now, do they?

I also think Scott Boras is satan incarnate. Force majeure clauses exist for exactly the type of situation we're in now. Do MLB contracts really not include force majeure clauses? If they do how is this tool even being so aggressive about this?
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
This is so stupid. Why bite the hand that feeds you when it's offering more than it ever has before? Players have always gotten the short end IMO on salaries, but I'm stunned they think the 50/50 split of revenue is an unfair or unreasonable offer. They're idiotic to not take that and then use it as a starting point for the next CBA. They get nowhere close to 50% of revenue now, do they?

I also think Scott Boras is satan incarnate. Force majeure clauses exist for exactly the type of situation we're in now. Do MLB contracts really not include force majeure clauses? If they do how is this tool even being so aggressive about this?

They do include force majeure clauses. I could be wrong but I believe the issue becomes that as soon as they start playing again the circumstances that trigger the clause cease to exist. Or more simply put I believe the clause is only in effect if they aren't playing. If the two sides don't come to an agreement the players aren't getting another cent. That's a fact.
 

Purp

Active Member
They do include force majeure clauses. I could be wrong but I believe the issue becomes that as soon as they start playing again the circumstances that trigger the clause cease to exist. Or more simply put I believe the clause is only in effect if they aren't playing. If the two sides don't come to an agreement the players aren't getting another cent. That's a fact.
I'd be interested to see that litigated. My understanding of force majeure from business law almost 20 years ago ties the triggering of the clause to an event that makes fulfillment of a contract agreement unrealistic or impossible. While playing would indicate the event is less severe than it was previously, the fact that they would be playing with safety mitigations when they resume would concede the event isn't over.

Moreover, the deleterious effects of the event are the more pertinent factor, IMO, so if the effects of the event are felt well into the next season I'm not sure why players should expect to receive full salaries until then. What if fans don't return to stadiums in 2021 at more than 50% of previous attendance figures? Wouldn't that still trigger force majeure?
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
I'd be interested to see that litigated. My understanding of force majeure from business law almost 20 years ago ties the triggering of the clause to an event that makes fulfillment of a contract agreement unrealistic or impossible. While playing would indicate the event is less severe than it was previously, the fact that they would be playing with safety mitigations when they resume would concede the event isn't over.

Moreover, the deleterious effects of the event are the more pertinent factor, IMO, so if the effects of the event are felt well into the next season I'm not sure why players should expect to receive full salaries until then. What if fans don't return to stadiums in 2021 at more than 50% of previous attendance figures? Wouldn't that still trigger force majeure?

Like I said, I could be wrong. I think what we're dealing with here however is the players simply being prepared to just not play at all (and receive no salary) if their demands aren't met. The owners can't make them play and the players aren't asking to be paid any more than they've already received if they don't. They're making it more about what they perceive as an erosion of their rights going into looming labor negotiations (current CBA up in 2021 I believe) than they are about their current salaries. I remain in the camp that believes the two sides will realize what's at stake and come to an agreement but I won't be shocked if they don't.
 

Purp

Active Member
This has the potential to be a September 11th type rejuvenation of the country that MLB provided back then. That finally restored MLB after the lockout. this could be the exact opposite. would be suicide for the game.
 
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