MLB economic proposal for sliding salary scale would hit Pirates' highest-paid players hardest

With MLB’s lowest payroll at a reported $54 million for 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates have only 10 players scheduled to make more than $1 million this season.

An economic proposal from baseball’s owners, as reported by USA Today, would require the team’s highest-paid players like pitcher Chris Archer, right fielder Gregory Polanco and All-Star first baseman Josh Bell to take the biggest pay cuts while those making close to the league minimum receive the smallest hit.

The MLB Players Association is reportedly “extremely disappointed” in the proposal Tuesday from baseball’s owners that seeks a sliding scale of compensation this season with the league offering players a larger share of playoff revenue.

The MLB Players Association has not commented publicly on MLB’s economic sliding pay scale plan, but privately is extremely disappointed, saying the proposal involves massive additional pay cuts . The union also is far apart on health and safety protocols with MLB.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 26, 2020

The MLBPA is very disappointed with MLB’s economic proposal today, source tells me and @Ken_Rosenthal, calling additional cuts proposed “massive." League offered to share more playoff revenue, but on balance, those dollars are small compared to what players give up, PA believes.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) May 26, 2020

In March, the MLBPA agreed to play for a prorated portion of guaranteed salaries, which would amount to a nearly 50 percent pay cut for a proposed 82-game season. Owners are asking for more concessions from the union, and a 50-50 revenue split was considered but never formally offered.

MLB statement: “We made a proposal to the union that is completely consistent with the economic realities facing our sport. We look forward to a responsive proposal from the MLBPA.”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 26, 2020

The Pirates players most impacted by a sliding salary scale would be Archer, who has the highest at $9 million, Polanco ($8.6 million), Bell ($4.8 million) and closer Keone Kela ($3.725 million).

Rounding out the 10 highest-paid Pirates are pitchers Trevor Williams ($2.825 million) and Joe Musgrove and second baseman Adam Frazier (both $2.8 million), center fielder Jarrod Dyson ($2 million), relief pitcher Michael Feliz ($1.1 million) and outfielder Guillermo Heredia ($1 million).

Veteran left-hander Derek Holland, a non-roster invitee to spring training who is expected to earn a spot in the starting rotation, would earn $1.25 million if he makes the club, with potential for an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses.

In MLB’s proposed scale minimum salary players will get >100 percent of prorated pay but close to it. Star players will take big hit. Stars can make up some assuming postseason is played but it’s estimated stars will still take about a 50 pct additional hit, more by 1 accounting.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 26, 2020

Exact percentages in MLB proposal aren’t known, but people involved estimate the best-paid stars — Trout, Cole, Verlander, Scherzer, etc — might make about 20-30 percent of their full salary over 82 games plus postseason. So for Cole, for instance, that’d be not 36M but about 9M

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 26, 2020

The proposal was the first move in negotiations between the league and the union in an effort to start a second spring training in June and open the baseball season by the July 4 weekend.