MLB and MLBPA Reach Deal on 2020 Season

The MLB and MLB Players Association have reached a deal to salvage the 2020 season.

The tentative agreement was reached Thursday night and will be voted on Friday to make it official.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have a deal, sources tell ESPN. The players have voted on it already. MLB owners are expected to ratify it tomorrow. An excellent sign that draws a path forward as baseball tries to figure out when it will return.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2020

2020 Season

The deal includes MLB owners paying players portions of salaries in April and May. If there ends up being no season, then the players will get to keep the money. The deal also includes a commitment from both the league and players to play as close to a full regular-season as possible, meaning games in October and the post-season in November.

MLB insider Jeff Passan talked about players wanting to play as many games as possible.

Both sides also agree that players will receive full credit for a full year, as if  there were 162 games, regardless of how many games are actually played. If there is no season at all, players will get the same service time they had in 2019.

Passan also talked about the target date for the season to officially start.

When it comes to playoffs, there are talks of possible natural sites.

Draft

In regards to the draft, there will still be an amateur draft this summer, but it will be reduced from the typical 40 rounds to just five. This could also delay the start of the international signing period to as late as January 2021.

Clubs

Clubs have promised their full-time employees that they will continue to receive salary through April 30 with no layoffs.

Teams have also agreed to pay players on a 40-man roster a lump sum of $140 million in upfront money, with players scheduled to receive their first paychecks on April 15. If the season resumes, the payout will be constructed on a pro-rated scale, based on how many games are played.

The deal, after nearly two weeks of negotiations, came out on what would have been Opening Day.