A season of AAA guys?

[HowAboutThat]

One thing about the players association union is that a whole lot of very good baseball players are not members, because they aren’t allowed to be yet.

That means that if the players association decides to sit on their hands, MLB can field teams consisting of guys from the high minors. They aren't crossing any picket lines because they’re not members of the union because they’re not good enough( or for whatever reason.)

if the owners would lower ticket/concession/parking costs to reflect teams making major league minimum, I think that would be exciting and fun to watch. Tony Clark and Scott Boras would scream and I would point my finger and say,” hah hah.”

What  am I missing?

Why wouldn’t this work?

[El_Duderino]

Guessing here but Tv money is why it won’t work. Also I think you are in the minority on it being a fun and exciting thing to watch.

[survivedc]

16 minutes ago, Philip said:

One thing about the players association union is that a whole lot of very good baseball players are not members, because they aren’t allowed to be yet.

That means that if the players association decides to sit on their hands, MLB can field teams consisting of guys from the high minors. They aren't crossing any picket lines because they’re not members of the union because they’re not good enough( or for whatever reason.)

if the owners would lower ticket/concession/parking costs to reflect teams making major league minimum, I think that would be exciting and fun to watch. Tony Clark and Scott Boras would scream and I would point my finger and say,” hah hah.”

What  am I missing?

Why wouldn’t this work?

What you’re missing is that while the players share a small amount of blame, the majority of it lies at the feet of the owners. The players shouldn’t be punished for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

[GuidoSarducci]

16 minutes ago, survivedc said:

What you’re missing is that while the players share a small amount of blame, the majority of it lies at the feet of the owners. The players shouldn’t be punished for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

Who decides what the players deserve to be paid?

[GuidoSarducci]

38 minutes ago, Philip said:

One thing about the players association union is that a whole lot of very good baseball players are not members, because they aren’t allowed to be yet.

That means that if the players association decides to sit on their hands, MLB can field teams consisting of guys from the high minors. They aren't crossing any picket lines because they’re not members of the union because they’re not good enough( or for whatever reason.)

if the owners would lower ticket/concession/parking costs to reflect teams making major league minimum, I think that would be exciting and fun to watch. Tony Clark and Scott Boras would scream and I would point my finger and say,” hah hah.”

What  am I missing?

Why wouldn’t this work?

It would amount to a unilateral cancelling of player contracts.  Players would sue the league and win easily.

Right now owners can get away with not paying players because baseball isn't being played at all.  

This leads me to another interesting question, is there any language in the CBA or elsewhere that ties player compensation to a functioning league.  It does seem kind of one of those "obvious" things, but are the owners even obligated to have a season at all.   For the past few months there have been of course extraordinary circumstances, but if the issue is now that baseball can be played, but the owners want the players to take a paycut, do the players have  a legal case that MLB is obligated to pay them regardless of whether or not the owners feel like having a season. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by GuidoSarducci

[spiritof66]

23 minutes ago, GuidoSarducci said:

Who decides what the players deserve to be paid?

The players have contracts that specify the amounts they're entitled to be paid per season. In March, the union agreed that the players would not seek more than those contracted-for amounts times the percentage of the season that is played. (I haven't seen the exact language.) That's the amount the deserve to be paid. You certainly could say, for instance, that Chris Davis deserves to be paid very little because he's played so badly. But he's got a contract that specifies the amount he's entitled to be paid. I would say that's the amount, as modified by the March agreement, that he deserves.

[HowAboutThat]

Well, rats...

[survivedc]

9 hours ago, GuidoSarducci said:

Who decides what the players deserve to be paid?

Uh, the owners did when they agreed to contracts with the players.

[Roll Tide]

9 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

The players have contracts that specify the amounts they're entitled to be paid per season. In March, the union agreed that the players would not seek more than those contracted-for amounts times the percentage of the season that is played. (I haven't seen the exact language.) That's the amount the deserve to be paid. You certainly could say, for instance, that Chris Davis deserves to be paid very little because he's played so badly. But he's got a contract that specifies the amount he's entitled to be paid. I would say that's the amount, as modified by the March agreement, that he deserves.

So they can pay every guy the minimum MLB salary and give him service time equal to the number of games played. Teams can also be choosy about the players they use. 
 

im not sure I’d be interested but some people would be.

[DrungoHazewood]

10 hours ago, Philip said:

One thing about the players association union is that a whole lot of very good baseball players are not members, because they aren’t allowed to be yet.

That means that if the players association decides to sit on their hands, MLB can field teams consisting of guys from the high minors. They aren't crossing any picket lines because they’re not members of the union because they’re not good enough( or for whatever reason.)

if the owners would lower ticket/concession/parking costs to reflect teams making major league minimum, I think that would be exciting and fun to watch. Tony Clark and Scott Boras would scream and I would point my finger and say,” hah hah.”

What  am I missing?

Why wouldn’t this work?

Do you remember the '94-95 lockout/strike?  They tried to use replacement players (except Angelos, who refused).  The only minor leaguers who crossed the line (with a small handful of Kevin Millar exceptions) were non-prospects.  Players anywhere close to the majors, or thinking they'd ever have a chance to be major leaguers, wouldn't cross the picket line for fear of being blackballed and forever shunned and denied union membership.

This isn't a strike.  But I'm guessing the same sentiments would apply.  Prospects aren't crossing the line for 1/3rd of some kind of MLB salary followed by being treated like a pariah.  Even if the owners could get around all the other legal hurdles in the way of this kind of plan.

[weams]

11 hours ago, survivedc said:

What you’re missing is that while the players share a small amount of blame, the majority of it lies at the feet of the owners. The players shouldn’t be punished for wanting to be paid what they deserve.

Mike Trout

[GuidoSarducci]

1 hour ago, survivedc said:

Uh, the owners did when they agreed to contracts with the players.

And if the owners decide that playing the season isn't worth it if they aren't getting any stadium revenue?

Edited June 17, 2020 by GuidoSarducci

[ChosenOne21]

Weren't we already going to have a season of AAA guys before COVID-19 happened?

[UpstateNYfan]

I'm not sure, but PA was (is) a pretty strong union guy, which is another reason he is not liked by other owners. PA would never have approved such a move. I'm not sure his sons are the same. IMO scab, replacement players would cause more problems in the long haul for the owners, watching inferior play strengthens the true Major Leaguers.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 minute ago, UpstateNYfan said:

I'm not sure, but PA was (is) a pretty strong union guy, which is another reason he is not liked by other owners. PA would never have approved such a move. I'm not sure his sons are the same. IMO scab, replacement players would cause more problems in the long haul for the owners, watching inferior play strengthens the true Major Leaguers.

If this were to go on for a while, for example if this segued into the new CBA negotiations and there was a long stoppage, and the owners tried a replacement-player season there's a possibility that the real players (especially those out of contract) would try to start some alternate league of some sort.  The owners would have the uniforms and the stadiums we're familiar with but low-A talent.  The players would have new uniforms and who knows where they'd play, but they'd have MLB players.  I think the players would win that battle.  Who would you watch, Jomar Reyes or Mike Trout?