Report: MLB Proposes 76-Game Schedule With 75% Prorated Salaries

MLB reportedly sent a new proposal to the MLB Players Association suggesting a 76-game season with 75% prorated salaries.

MLB has sent a new proposal to the MLB Players Association suggesting a 76-game season with 75% prorated salaries, according to ESPN's Karl Ravech. 

Under the proposal, the 2020 regular season would start around July 10 and end on Sept. 27, while the postseason would conclude in late October, reports Ravech and MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The league initially set its sights on returning in time for July 4, but that timeline has been stalled while MLB and the MLBPA have negotiated for weeks to reach a deal on starting the season. 

In March, the two sides reached an agreement that would prorate player's salaries based on the number of games played. However, the players have fought back since MLB owners proposed splitting all revenue for the 2020 season 50-50 between the owners and the players. MLB has already established its health and safety plans for when the season returns, but the union has already drawn a firm line in the sand on the issue of players taking additional salary cuts.

The MLBPA sees Monday's proposal from MLB "to be worse than the league's last" because it emphasizes risk-sharing in the postseason," according to The Athletic's Evan Drellich. Players would be guaranteed 50% of their prorated salaries under this deal and the remaining 25% hinges upon the postseason being completed.

Reporter Jason Lukehart points out that this new prorated salary proposal for 76 games works out to be 35% of players' full salary for a normal, 162-game season. If they received 100% of the prorated salary for 50 games, it would be 31% of their full salary, meaning the latest offer asks athletes to play 26 more games for "almost no additional pay."