JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/8/20

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/8/20

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Ben Clemens

2:00

Good afternoon, and welcome to a FanGraphs chat sponsored by FanGraphs.

I'll be your host, Ben Clemens.

2:01

I may be a little bit flighty at the start of the chat -- my dog just inadvertently stabbed me in the ankle with the stick she was carrying on our walk.

So I'm gonna be doing some first aid while I chat.

But let's get started!

Jake

2:01

Do you think today's proposal from the MLB gives any room to move forward in negotiations or is it a complete step backwards?

Ben Clemens

2:02

I mean, basically yes? I haven't talked about it with the rest of the staff, but I tihnk it's a positive sign that the owners are improving money, even if there's no chance the PA accepts this deal.

A positive sign relative to their prior position of 'screw you bye', to be fair.

But still an improvement

Chris

2:02

Are the owners just going to keep offering terrible one sided deals until they are forced to play a short season and players can't sue

Ben Clemens

2:02

I think we're going to end up with something like a 65-game season with pay for roughly 65 games.

2:03

I don't have any inside sources on that or anything, but I can see the owners basically stringing out negotiations until we get to the poin where that's the longest avialalbe season and then just running it.

aaronsaron

2:03

Hi Ben! Will there be an OOTP stream tomorrow? :]

Ben Clemens

2:03

Yes indeed. Sadly it won't be a draft prep, because whoops, the draft was last week, which I missed because I was preparing for hte real life draft.

But instead it will be a draft review.

Chris

2:03

The owners want 16 teams in the playoffs?

Ben Clemens

2:04

Yeah, more $ that way. The players agreed to that in their prior proposal so it looks pretty likely for this year.

John

2:04

Do you see any hope that the two bullheaded sides find an agreement soon? I am fed up with the money arguments. As a baseball fan of over 50 years, I am done if there is no 2020 season. Neither side cares about the fans.

Ben Clemens

2:04

Maybe

I really strenuously disagree with the both-sides-ism going on here though

There's an agreement!

They can play

If the owners wanted to abide by the agreement that they signed and play an 82game season

That would happen tomorrow.

This is the owners trying to take extra money.

Now look, they'll probably get extra money

2:05

They're good at getting extra money!

But this isn't a case where both sides hate the fans

Like what if the owners offered minimum salaries to every player, and they get to punch Max Scherzer in the chest once a day for leading the union, and 81 games

Should the players take that?

If you think it's no, then it's just a matter of what the fair middle is

2-D

2:05

Which parts of this new proposal do you see the MLBPA not agreeing to?

Ben Clemens

2:06

I haven't talked to anyone about it, but basically the money? I just don't think it's the right amount relative to the deal

Getting the players to play 82 games, with the attendant COVID risk, and paying them for like 60?

Just play 60 games at that point, if you're not willing to pay them for the 80

Sanford

2:06

Any experience with Terraforming Mars?

trophy

1

Ben Clemens

2:07

Sadly not, though I was reallllllly looking forward to playing some literally the week that shelter-in-place was announced here

I have a group of gaming friends, one of whom is a huge fan

We had it all set up, my wife and I planned on making nachos.... and then we stopped being able to go places.

2:08

I'm looking forward to re-scheduling to an outdoor porch at some point in the near future, though.

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