The latest update from around the MLB suggests that baseball may be returning sooner rather than later. Owners have already come together to suggest plans to get games going, pending the approval of the player’s union. There are still significant hurdles, but we’re close! More news from around the league.
Top News This Week
- MLB owners have an agreement on a proposal to present to the player’s union. If the union agrees to the proposal, games can get started as soon as July. However, there are still significant hurdles the league will have to overcome.
- The World Baseball Classis has officially been called off for 2021. Originally scheduled for March, officials decided to call it off out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19 shutting everything else down. The WBC will return in 2023 instead.
- The agreement with MLB owners will have two major points that will still need to be overcome. One of those things is the financial compensation of players. Owners have suggested a revenue sharing program that the player’s union sees as nothing more than a salary cap around the league.
- The new plan also suggests that the league will be 81-82 games or half of what the normal season would have been. Rosters are also expected to expand to 30 players, with a large taxi squad to ensure player health.
Social News
MLB featured this fun segment with Andrelton Simmons and Didi Gregorious. The two shortstops are life-long friends, who apparently know more about each other than anyone else.
.@DidiG18 and @Andrelton are childhood friends …
… but how well do they really know each other? https://t.co/DhM77ETnhY pic.twitter.com/ujZm2QizZQ
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2020
As ESPN winds down on The Last Dance this coming weekend, we look back at a clip from this past Sunday. In the clip, you can see just how excited Michael Jordan is to meet Ken Griffey Jr, truly an iconic moment in sports history.
Swingman x Jumpman
Griffey and Jordan exchanging autographs is so cool. #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/aoWnTHPv3O
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2020
MLB has also decided that the draft this year will not be ten rounds as anticipated in a new proposal. Instead, the draft will move to a five-round format. Undrafted players have the opportunity to sign with teams for up to $20,000, should they so choose.
The 2020 Major League Baseball draft will be five rounds, sources tell @kileymcd and me. All players who go undrafted would be eligible to sign for a maximum of $20,000. While there was a proposal to the union for a 10-round draft, the sides didn’t come to an agreement.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 8, 2020
All of that news and more, this week in MLB! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
