Major League Baseball players told the league additional talks to start the season during the coronavirus pandemic are pointless and said owners should order a return to work, which likely would spark lengthy litigation and the sport’s return to labor wars.
The union’s action Saturday night could lead to a season of about 50 games rather than the 82 that MLB initially proposed. The 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 because of a shorter season.
“It unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement.