MLB, umpires union agree on payment reduction ahead of possible return
Home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott #81 and umpires Tripp Gibson #73, Pat Hoberg #31 and Chad Whitson #62 walk to home plate prior to the start of a spring training game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Stadium on March 10, 2020 in Peoria, Arizona. Credit: Getty Images/Norm Hall
Major League Baseball checked another box Friday in the hope of resuming the 2020 season by coming to an agreement with the umpires union on reduced terms of payment for this year, a source confirmed.
MLB officials have expressed optimism that a truncated season remains possible, a belief that’s been echoed recently in government ranks by everyone from President Donald Trump to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
In the meantime, MLB still has other issues to work out, and the umpires union was just one of the significant hurdles. A much bigger challenge awaits with the Players Association, as MLB owners want further salary concessions as long as fans won’t be allowed to attend games, wherever they end up being played.
Under the March 26 agreement, MLB already has supplied a $170-million advance to be divvied up among the players through May. And if there is a season, the players currently are supposed to receive a pro-rated portion of their contracts, based on the number of games.
There is a provision, however, that allows for further negotiation of those salaries if spectators are banned. Teams get 40% of their income from gate revenues, which include tickets sales and concessions, and they would want to account for those losses in what they pay the players. When union chief Tony Clark got word of the owners’ stance last month, he flatly said those negotiations were ended in March, which might set up a problematic staredown with MLB as a potential season gets closer.
Commissioner Rob Manfred repeatedly has said that restarting the season depends on the backing of the CDC, along with public-health assurances of a safe work environment. The latter remains very much in question as the nation struggles to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, with some states loosening restrictions earlier than others.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
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