MLB Best Avoid Any Sort of Financial Squabble Between Owners, Players

It seems that the agreement that Major League Baseball owners and players struck recently is being interpreted differently by the two sides. If players are asked to take further pay cuts while playing in front of empty stadiums, things could get ugly.

It’s been suggested that a return of sports, particularly baseball this year would be good for the national psyche.

Just the other day, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made it clear he was rooting for baseball’s return, saying “I think it would be good for the country.”

“I think it would be good for people to have something to watch and to fight cabin fever,” Cuomo said on CNN. “And it’s something that I’m going to pursue.”

That pursuit could be tricky. What would not be good would be owners and players to spend the buildup for a return of baseball fighting about money.

And yet, that seems to be a possibility. In a story from theathletic.com’s Ken Rosenthal, Cuomo made reference to potential salary cuts for baseball players should game be play in front of zero fans. Cuomo had talked with New York Mets’ COO Jeff Wilpon earlier in the day.

The trouble is, baseball and the players’ union have already struck a deal over money in this time of COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Early on, the two sides came up with a 17-page agreement that include structure for the sport during the pandemic, including a section title “Player Compensation and Benefits.” The agreement covers both a shortened season and a cancelled season.

There is language included about discussing the economics around playing games without fans, in neutral locations or both.

According to Rosenthal, players are talking as if the salary issue has been addressed but a spokesman for the owners disagreed.

If this isn’t settled once and for all, and quickly and quietly at that, the backlash from the sport’s fans could be severe.

In the last month, there have been more than 22 million applications for unemployment. Presumably, many of those men and women would like to have a bit of baseball available to them as an entertainment while they wait for the pandemic to clear up enough for the job market to improve.

Would they tolerate a squabble over those relative riches by owners and players? Baseball shouldn’t want to find out, because they might not like the answer.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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