On Tuesday, Major League Baseball proposed a sliding scale of compensation to the Major League Baseball Players Association, in an attempt to open the shortened season by the July 4th weekend.
The plan proposes to pay players a prorated percentage of their salaries, with the players who make the most taking the biggest salary cuts. The three people spoke only on the condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing. Younger players who make the least amount of money would receive most of their guaranteed prorated salaries. The proposal also includes a sliding scale of compensation that guarantees players a percentage of their salaries at different intervals of the season, through the postseason.
The players agreed on March 26 to be paid on a prorated basis, but owners are seeking a new deal with revenues expected to fall significantly short as result of the 82-game season and postseason likely to be played without fans in the stands. Players would receive pay cuts of more than 50%, and perhaps as much as 75% for the game’s top-paid players.
The two sides would likely need to reach an agreement by around June 6 for the season to start on July 4. Players and coaching staffs need time to report for the resumption of spring training, which would last three weeks at a team’s home ballpark or their spring-training site in Florida or Arizona.
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