A March 26 agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association not only addressed service time for 2020 and prorated salaries, but also provided the union with a $170 million advance.
The lump sum was to cover the first 60 days of the regular season as it remained on halt due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It was distributed to players on 40-man rosters, with the value determined by service time.
Although MLB and the MLBPA were unable to come to an agreement for the 2020 season, players will not be required to repay the money even with commissioner Rob Manfred imposing a schedule.