Major League Baseball intends to propose a shorter season in which the league would pay players a full, prorated share of their salaries, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The league believes the late March agreement to delay the start of the season allows MLB it to set the schedule, and that this would fulfill players’ pro rata desire.
The potential season that MLB envisions would run somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 regular-season games, sources told ESPN.
The exact number is being considered, but the aim would be to return in July.
The news comes a day after the MLB Players Association delivered a return-to-play proposal that called for a 114-game season.
MLB will continue discussing alternatives to the shorter season with players, but believes that its March agreement with players allows it to mandate a shorter season, and the league is prepared to use that option in the absence of a deal with the MLBPA.
The union has remained steadfast that players should receive their full, prorated salaries. MLB’s original proposal called for significant pay cuts that affected the highest-paid players the most but covered all levels.
