March 26 was supposed to be Opening Day for Major League Baseball’s 2020 season.
Instead, the league and the MLB Players Association reached a deal on terms for a likely shortened season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the agreement, adding that players have already voted and owners are expected to ratify on Friday. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is particularly impacted in one part of the deal.
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The deal is as follows, according to Passan and fellow scribe Jon Heyman:
Salaries
- Players will be advanced $170 million from MLB owners for the months of April and May.