MLB Players want 70 Games Not 60, Manfred and Owners Quickly Reject Proposal

Major League Baseball seems to be at yet another standstill, as this time the players are asking for more games, 70, than the owners are willing to give. While there is time to get a deal done, time is running out if a 2020 season is going to take place.

A lot can change in 24 hours, and it sounds like Major League Baseball could be headed back for a standstill again when it comes to playing a shortened 2020 season.

Thursday the Major League Baseball Players Association proposed a 70-game regular-season schedule, and right away that proposal was rejected by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

The proposal put out by owners on Wednesday included a 60-game slate. The proposal came after Manfred and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark met for a reported four hours in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Now though things again for a 2020 campaign seem up in the air, as it could be the 10 games that the players want that could cost the entire season to be nixed.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the players association were looking for the season to go from July 19 to September 30.

Along with that players would get full prorated play, a universal DH for 2020 and 2021, minimum pool for playoff shares in 2020 based on rounds played; $50 million if full playoff is staged, expanded playoffs to 16 teams in 2020 and 2021, and a mutual waiver of any possible grievances under the March agreement.

The comments from Manfred sounded almost defeated at this point, as everyone it seems is just tired and all parties have to decide if there’s going to be a season or not.

"This needs to be over," Manfred said. "Until I speak with owners, I can't give you a firm deadline."

Both sides are to blame at this point, and if no season winds up getting played it may be a blow to the game that this time it may never recover from.