Is all of the recent acrimony between MLB players and owners real or the byproduct of the early stages of the 2020 season's negotiations playing out in the public spotlight? When recently asked that question, one baseball official's reply was, "Yes."
Yes, as in both things are true.
It's with that backdrop the sport continues to navigate a return to the field. Now that both sides have presented the other with offers, perhaps the real negotiation can start, though the sides remain several miles apart at the moment.
The league's first offer of a sliding pay scale based on an 82-game season was met with a response sticking to full prorated salaries but with 114 games played.