As the sports world figures out how to get back to action amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Major League Baseball has seemingly failed to make any significant progress.
That, however, may have changed on Monday, with ESPN's Karl Ravech reporting that MLB has offered a proposal to its players that appears to be more in line with the interest of both sides.
According to Ravech, MLB's latest proposal includes a 76-game regular season, which would end on September 27, followed by a postseason that would run through October. Players would receive 75 percent of their prorated salaries. as well as playoff pool money, with no draft compensation for teams who lose free agents.
While it remains to be seen whether or not the players accept the proposal, it's worth noting that both sides appear to be moving closer toward aligning on a compromise. That didn't appear to be the case as recently as a week ago, when the owners turned down a proposal for the players that included a 114-game regular season with full prorated salaries.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the MLB owners were prepared to counter with a shorter season in the 50-game range, which could help limit the costs of paying the player their full prorated salaries. The players, however, appear to determined to play a longer campaign, while the issue of receiving reduced prorated salaries could remain a sticking point in further negotiations.
As for what type of format for play the league's latest proposal would include, that remains unclear. In April, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported the league was considering abolishing the American and National Leagues in favor of dividing all 30 teams into three regional divisions, with games being played at home ballparks without fans in attendance.