Playing for free, salary drop, 2022 lockout possible for MLB

Jeremy Jeffress, Jordan Montgomery, Kevin Plawecki could be playing for free this season, earning salaries lower than what y already received as advances.

Mookie Betts, George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, James Paxton and Marcus Stroman are likely to find fewer bidders, dollars and contract years as free-nt market lurches into a free fall next offseason.

And all of baseball could be bracing for a spring training lockout and shortened 2022 season after coronavirus pandemic heightened likelihood of sport’s first work stopp since 1994-95.

“Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Christian Yelich, all se guys are lucky that y signed,” former Miami Marlins president David Samson said Sunday. “ biggest people you should watch this offseason are Mookie Betts and J.T. Realmuto because J.T. thought that he would surpass Joe Mauer and Buster Posey, and re is likely chance. And Mookie Betts thought that he would be above Bryce Harper and I would view that as much less likely w.”

pathogen highlighted each side’s ecomic interest: players care most about regular season, when y accrue entirety of ir salaries; owners worry about postseason, when $787 million in broadcast revenue is due.

Major League Baseball owners are left with decision of how long a regular season to schedule after players’ union head Tony Clark said Saturday night that “unfortunately it appears that furr dialogue with league would be futile.”

Bruce Meyer, union’s chief negotiator, sent Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem a letter that “we demand that you inform us of your plans by close of business on Monday.”

A March 26 agreement called for players to receive prorated salaries and bound sides to “complete fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is ecomically feasible,” consistent with a series of provisions: government restrictions on mass garings, travel restrictions and health or safety risk “to st games in front of fans in each of 30 clubs’ home ballparks.”

It also called for MLB and union to “discuss in good faith ecomic feasibility of playing games in absence of spectators or at appropriate substitute neutral sites.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred has threatened a regular-season of about 50 games, which would lead to players receiving about 31% of ir salaries, about $1.23 billion. That is less than $1.27 billion y were guaranteed

MLB appears likely to anunce a decision after Manfred confers with 30 controlling owners.

Barring a move toward a deal, both sides probably will file grievances. union would claim MLB failed to schedule longest season possible and ask for money dams.

union would say to make an evaluation it needs documents detailing equity relationships between baseball owners and regional sports networks, and between owners and real estate ventures adjacent to ballparks. MLB would claim union did t bargain in good faith.

Players say y have obligation to help clubs reduce expenses caused by playing in empty ballparks. nt Scott Boras says MLB stance is akin to saying: “When lighting strikes you, you tell runners race until you fix my track.”

Arbitrator Mark Irvings, who

Players have received $170 million in salary advances,

Those players wouldn't have to return any money; instead, money would be paid back to MLB by union from taxes collected from teams for exceeding international signing bonus pool thresholds.

All players will lose chances to accumulate statistics for games lost that are never made up.

While y argue and file briefs, Betts, Realmuto and rest are unlikely to reach $300 million-and-more deals given to

And if coronavirus lingers into 2021, ar season could be impacted. Unless sides reach an agreement, sides would argue wher MLB has right to suspend Uniform Player Contract during a national emergency, as Manfred threatened before March agreement. Teams also will probably push for a pandemic provision in guarantee langu of new guaranteed contracts.

Bargaining during a major grievance will be even more difficult than usual heading into labor contract’s expiration on Dec. 1, 2021. Given experience of 1994 and union’s threat to strike in 2002, teams would rar have a confrontation during spring training than in summer.

And if Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump in presidential election and Democrats win control of both houses of Congress, player take-home could go down matter what.

“If Democrats win, I think y recognize that tax rates are going to go through roof,” former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. ”$40 million is an awful lot of money, but tax on that is going to be extraordinary.”