Report: MLB will lose money by playing 2020 season with prorated salaries

A new report suggests that Major League Baseball team owners will lose more money by paying players prorated salaries than by not playing a 2020 season at all, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

For this reason, owners are telling players they will not pay the prorated salaries, Heyman adds.

A revenue-sharing plan seems to be preferred by owners, though it's not clear whether such a proposal has been sent to the players yet. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said players would not accept revenue sharing because it resembles a salary cap.

The league and union came to an agreement in March that, if there is a 2020 season, player salaries would be prorated based on games played. However, now that it seems fan attendance will be prohibited for the entirety of the campaign due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, owners are seeking to rework the plan based on unforeseen losses.

After owners approved a plan for 2020 on Monday, a proposal was expected to be sent to the players on Tuesday. Instead, the two sides had an hours-long video conference with a focus on health and safety matters, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.