MLB and Player's Union Agree on 2020 Adjustments

[stringer bell]

MLB and the player's union agreed on adjustments to be made in the short season. It appears that when the season starts, all teams will have a roster of 29. Service time will be prorated so however long the season goes will be counted as a full year this year. The draft has been modified and pushed back. 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/mlb-mlbpa-reach-deal.html

 

The Twins might get almost a full season out of Rich Hill, probably a better deal than they could have expected, and it would make sense that Michael Pineda's suspension will be prorated. 

[ashbury]

The Twins might get almost a full season out of Rich Hill, probably a better deal than they could have expected, and it would make sense that Michael Pineda's suspension will be prorated. 

Ditto performance clauses in contracts like Maeda's. (Which gets paid this year by LA, but I'm sure there are other contracts.)

[IndianaTwin]

 

MLB and the player's union agreed on adjustments to be made in the short season. It appears that when the season starts, all teams will have a roster of 29. Service time will be prorated so however long the season goes will be counted as a full year this year. The draft has been modified and pushed back. 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/mlb-mlbpa-reach-deal.html

 

The Twins might get almost a full season out of Rich Hill, probably a better deal than they could have expected, and it would make sense that Michael Pineda's suspension will be prorated. 

 

Is that how you understand Pineda's suspension? I read "suspensions will apply as usual for the upcoming season but will not carry further into the future if the 2020 season is cancelled" to mean that he will still have to sit out 39 days, but that if the season is cancelled, it will be assumed as served.

 

For example, here's a Joel Sherman tweet on Domingo German. It's a different issue, but still a suspension.

"The way that the MLB/MLBPA agreement reads on domestic abuse suspensions, Domingo German will have to serve the remaining 63 games of his ban, but if there is no season or a shortened season, it does not carry over to 2021."
 

 

[stringer bell]

 

Is that how you understand Pineda's suspension? I read "suspensions will apply as usual for the upcoming season but will not carry further into the future if the 2020 season is cancelled" to mean that he will still have to sit out 39 days, but that if the season is cancelled, it will be assumed as served.

 

For example, here's a Joel Sherman tweet on Domingo German. It's a different issue, but still a suspension.

"The way that the MLB/MLBPA agreement reads on domestic abuse suspensions, Domingo German will have to serve the remaining 63 games of his ban, but if there is no season or a shortened season, it does not carry over to 2021."
 

I'm certainly not sure if Pineda will have to serve all of the remaining games. Perhaps, he will be liable for all of his remaining suspension. I assumed that if service time was prorated, so to would be suspensions.

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm certainly not sure if Pineda will have to serve all of the remaining games. Perhaps, he will be liable for all of his remaining suspension. I assumed that if service time was prorated, so to would be suspensions.

Service time isn't prorated.

[stringer bell]

 

Service time isn't prorated.

My understanding is that service time will be prorated. We don't know how many days or games the season will be, but if, for example, it is 100 games and 110 days and a player is on the major league roster for 55 days, he will get credit for half a season, which in other years would be 86 days or so. That is what I mean by being prorated. Pineda has about 25% of a full season to serve, so I presumed that if the season were 100 games, he might only have to serve 25.

 

Further, again using 100 games as the ultimate length of the season, a player will get credit for a full season by being on the roster for the extent of the shortened season.

[ashbury]

 

My understanding is that service time will be prorated.

Yes. It's addressed in the MLBTR article, and journalists cited within are indeed saying this.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/mlb-mlbpa-reach-deal.html

"Now, thanks to this agreement, all players who are active or on the injured list for the entirety of a shortened 2020 season will receive a full year of service time, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Players’ service time will be pro-rated in the event of a truncated campaign, Joel Sherman of the New York Post adds. So, if there’s a 100-day season and a player’s active for 50 of those days, he’ll get half a year of service. If no season happens at all, service time accrued will be based on the amount of days the player earned in 2019, per Rosenthal."
 

[Mr. Brooks]

I wasn't thinking of it that way.

 

Thanks for clarifying guys.

[stringer bell]

I listened to Gleeman and the Geek today and John seemed to think that suspensions would be enforced no matter how long the season was in 2020. That would mean that Pineda's suspension would be 39 games wther the season was 120 games or 40 games. Aaron wasn't as sure. Does anyone have definitive information about suspensions?

 

On another contract note--incentive bonuses. Would any contracts incentive bonuses be prorated? Maeda's would be Exhibit A, but many pitchers get credit for innings or starts. Some hitters get money for plate appearances. 

[DocBauer]

Stringer, in regard to your questions, if service time is prorated, we'd have to assume incentives would be as well, right?

 

While there is an agreement in place, there are so many different scenarios and things to consider I have to believe the situation will remain somewhat fluid.

 

A number of us have broached suspension situations, primarily Pineda of course, and I find it odd that this agreement seems to state all suspensions will be played out as is. I wonder if that is bad language and they simply mean they will be enforced but also prorated? Or is this the one area where proration doesn't take place? It sure sounds like that latter.

 

Also wondering if teams were to appeal, would said appeal even be heard. And it was, would they then make a change.

 

Lots of stuff to figure out if we even get a season in.

[ewen21]

 

I wasn't thinking of it that way.

Thanks for clarifying guys.

You sounded so confident, though.  Like it didn't even warrant a discussion.

 

LOL