MLB Players not Cool with 50-50 Revenue Split Scheme?

The impasse over revenue splitting between the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) & the MLB players has not yet come to any conclusive state. The 2020 season is still in a precarious situation with no surety of the future because of the standoff.

With MLBPA officials proposing the 50-50 revenue split, the players do not look willing to accept. According to this revenue splitting scheme — all the revenue generated from the game would be divided equally between the association and the players. However, the deal looked convincing to many, but players balked at the association, and there are obvious reasons.

But, many fans have already started blaming players for being too self-indulgent and greedy. Fans frustrations also cannot be ignored — it’s been too long they are stuck and want their favorite players to entertain them rain or shine. But, we must take time to understand why these players are not cool with this scheme that iterates to split the revenue between MLBPA & MLB players in the ratio of 50-50. We have analyzed why these players are not cool with this 50-50 split:

1. There’s already an agreement on salary Reduction:

Past in March, there was already an agreement between players & the association over their salaries. Players agreed to be paid prorated salaries, which would be then based on the number of games they are playing. With this, players would be paid half the amount of the usual salary range playing 82-games a regular 2020 season. This is already too much loss for the MLB players. And, the disapproval on the 50-50 split scheme is unquestionably obvious. With this split, the association just wants to make up for the revenue generated from the fans buying tickets to watch the game.

2. There has never been a Revenue split between Players & the association:

There had never been such a revenue split in the past MLB seasons. However, the association is claiming this 50-50 split just for the 2020 games, but this compromise may be a strategy being formulated to chase players down the line. The fact that for long, the association members and owners have coveted the salary caps clarifies that this compromise could further give them an opportunity to bring about a revenue splitting based system.

3. Players may not see some money (could be hidden):

There are many hidden sources where the revenue is coming from — but players wouldn’t see any of these. The owners are not willing to share every stream with players. They can easily hide many sources of revenue from players that are not earned on the game day, and they essentially do. What is the need for this 50-50 scheme — it will further frustrate players.

4. The teams may not disclose all revenue sources:

Same as MLB can keep the revenue hidden, the MLB team can also misrepresent or manipulate the revenue to be at the benefiting end themselves. There is no obligation on the teams for sharing profit, revenue, or losses as most of them aren’t publicly traded entities. There could be a deceptive game played.

5. Players are taking the Risk of going out during COVID-19:

The most important thing is, it is the players (and other teammates including managers, coaches & umpires) who are risking their lives amidst the COVID-19 infections. Why do you think players should not get compensation for risking their lives? Once the season kicks off, it is not the owners who are going to get in action on the ground.

We must not blame players!

Before pushing players to fall in this trap of 50-50 split scheme, we must keep in mind everything and take a look at what’s bothering them. There are valid reasons for them not giving a green signal to the proposal — for people this may look a little dramatic but that’s how it will affect MLB players. However, negotiations are still going on, and we must hope for a fair deal without jumping on any decision. Let’s see what comes up!