news agency

Money, the key point that nobody wants to give up in Major League Baseball

The work stoppage of Major League Baseball (MLB) it has become a question that revolves around money, mainly because it could affect the negotiation of broadcasting rights for the next seven years.

The economy of the entire baseball industry depends on that agreement, estimated at $ 1.84 billion, and is now contingent on the players and team owners reaching an understanding.

The disagreement has caused the ninth work stoppage in Major League history and the first since 1994. And, at the moment, the positions are far apart, which is also due to pecuniary issues.

Disagreements

One of the points of disagreement is the desire of the players to implement the figure of the universal designated hitter in the National League, as it happens in the American League, a measure that seeks to extend the careers of some athletes.

The owners are opposed to this because it is 15 more jobs and with a high cost in payroll, said a source, who asked not to be cited.

The Players Association has also called for reducing the time players are tied to clubs. Since the collective agreement signed in 2011, a player must serve 5,172 days in the service of his team, about six years, before opting for free agency.

The critical point is that this rule has allowed clubs to maneuver to force players to extend their contractual relationship for a seventh year.

Situation experienced by Chicago Cubs third baseman, Kris Bryant, in 2015, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 and with Wander Franco, with the Tampa Bay Rays this year.

“It is that the active life of the player is very short and being tied to an employer for six years is a lot, since they are taking out the players with 30 years. They withdraw them, ”said the aforementioned source.

Players also want to review salary arbitration, which is the avenue that allows the player to negotiate their salary based on their performance, after serving three years of service.

An example of this type of rule is Juan Soto, who in 2019 led the Washington Nationals to win the World Series, earning a minimum salary of US $ 578,300, while, after serving three years of service, he received a salary of just over $ 8 million.

MLB offered to establish a minimum roster for all teams for the first time in Major League Baseball history, to allow players to reach free agency earlier through an age-based system, while increasing the minimum salary.

The international draft

Another point of dissent is the possibility of establishing an international draft or draw, which would lead to players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela or Mexico competing in a single draw with those from the United States.

“300 signed us and only three arrive, imagine if they put us in a draft,” said former Dominican player David Ortiz.

Latino players already have the experience that Puerto Rico has had, which in 1990 was included in the US draft and since then the presence of Puerto Rican players has decreased considerably.

A market without movement

Due to the strike, teams are not allowed to sign players, renegotiate contracts and go to salary arbitration or make trades, which has stopped the market. Another aspect that hits the players directly is that during this stage they do not receive any type of remuneration from the teams.

They are also prohibited from appearing at any team event or participating in any type of programming on any broadcast or channel, including social networks, which clearly limits their income through these channels.

The only option that the players have been able to find is that the strike does not prevent them from participating in the winter leagues of the Caribbean countries, or in the minority circuits.

.

You may also like

Hot News

TRENDING NEWS

Subscribe

follow us

Immediate Access Pro