MLB owners approve start up plan

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Major League Baseball could be on its way to returning.
This past Monday, MLB owners put the finishing touches on a plan that possibly could allow the season to start during the Fourth of July weekend.
The season, which was set to begin on March 26th, was put on hiatus due the coronavirus pandemic. If the season does return, the owners have agreed to cut the number of games down to 82. A normal regular season in Major League Baseball consists of a 162 game schedule.
If the plan were to come to fruition, spring training would begin in early to mid-June. Games would be played without fans, as long as state legislations and health officials give the okay.
Another possible roadblock to the plan would be if the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) decided to nix the plan. The league was supposed to put a proposal in front of the MLBPA this past Tuesday.
A big hiccup in any plan to return to the field was dealt with in March. During a meeting between the league and the MLBPA, the two sides agreed to key financial terms for player’s pay if the season were to be shortened.
The agreement called for a $170 million salary advance to the players in exchange for the MLBPA not challenging the loss of 2020 salaries in the event the season were to be cancelled or the prorated contracts in the event of a partial season.
“Players recently reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that outlines economic terms for resumption of play, which included significant salary adjustments and a number of other compromises,” MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark said in a statement. “That negotiation is over. We’re now focused on discussing ways to get back on the field under conditions that prioritize the health and wellbeing of players and their families, coaches, umpires, team staff and fans.”
In the event that games could not be played with fans in the stands, the two sides also agreed to hold meetings on the economics of playing those games with fan absence.