Baseball players have told the commissioner's office that any additional talks to start the season during the coronavirus pandemic would be pointless, and that owners should order a return to work.
Union head Tony Clark said in a statement Saturday that ``It's time to get back to work. Tell us when and where.''
The union's action might lead to a season of about 50 games rather than the 82 initially proposed by MLB. The Major League Baseball Players Association could respond by filing a grievance that would be heard by arbitrator Mark Irvings, arguing players are owed hundreds of millions of dollars in damages due to a shorter season.
MLB responded with a statement accusing the union of not negotiating in good faith and cited the March agreement that called for prorated salaries but did not obligate teams to play in empty ballparks. Clubs could file a grievance claiming the union did not meet its ``good faith'' obligation.
Overall, this could spark lengthy litigation and could even prompt some star players to sit out.
with files from Associated Press