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Major League Baseball appears to be closing in on a concrete proposal to begin a shortened 2020 season, but the players may need some more assurances before signing off on it.
Players are aware of the health risks associated with starting the season during a pandemic, even if precautions such as playing behind closed doors are taken. The union will raise that issue when speaking to owners.
"I don't think anything can be done until (safety) can be guaranteed and we feel comfortable with it," St. Louis Cardinals reliever and MLBPA executive board member Andrew Miller told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "We want to put a good product on the field, but that's totally secondary to the health of the players. We are generally younger and healthier, but that doesn't mean our staff is, that doesn't mean the umpires are going to be in the clear.
"It's not hard to get one degree of separation away from players who have kids who may have conditions, or other family members that live with them. I'm confident before anything happens, we'll sort through all those issues."
It was reported Saturday that owners will discuss a proposal for a truncated season Monday. Should the league finalize those ideas, the union would then receive the proposal Tuesday.
The MLBPA executive board held a conference call Friday in anticipation of receiving the owners' proposal, according to Rogers, who adds the union expects owners to propose sharing this year's television revenue with players as part of their pitch.
Health and finances will be central to players' discussions with owners before they agree to any deal. These are issues that have been raised publicly by players in recent days, most notably Boston Red Sox right-hander Collin McHugh who opined that players should be allowed to opt out of a 2020 season.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove, meanwhile, expressed hope that players wouldn't see even their prorated salaries slashed.
Miller acknowledged that owners will be hit financially if stadiums are closed to fans but doesn't think that should stand in the way of properly compensating players who are risking their health by traveling to play baseball.
"The way our sport works is we are not tied to revenue in any way," Miller said. "If the owners hit a home run and make more money, we don't go back and ask for more on our end. Ultimately, this isn't about money. We need to find a way to safely get our players on the field in a safe manner and control that."
