Tampa Bay Rays: “When and where” will the players file a grievance?

Tampa Bay Rays News: Commissioner Rob Manfred has asked the players two questions before implementing a schedule for 2020.

Tampa Bay Rays News: I won’t recap all of the back and forth as there is far too much of it with not enough interest.

Suffice it to say, following these negotiations has been like watching the two greatest Pong players in the world play the classic video game for months on end… in slow motion.

We’ll start at the latest rejection. MPBPA executive director Tony Clark sat down with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and hashed out the framework to a season that was promptly rejected in a 33-5 vote by the players.

The framework consisted of the following conditions:

• 60 games
• Universal DH for two years
• $33 million in forgiven salary advances providing higher pay for most players.
• 104% of prorated per game salary
• No expanded postseason for 2021

In response, the owners have exercised the ability to force a season on the players. They have asked for two responses before proceeding further. They have asked the Players Association if players will be able to report to camp by July 1 and the second response is regarding whether the players will agree to the Operating Manual which has the health and safety protocols.

The schedule will likely be between 50-60 games, assuming the players actually answer by the 5 p.m. ET deadline set for tomorrow.

Perhaps I’m missing something.

The players declined the owners’ previous offer last week and told the commissioner to tell them “when and where” to report to camp and start the season.

Commissioner Rob Manfred then went on ESPN and informed the public that he wouldn’t be implementing a schedule because the owners suspected the players are waiting exactly for that implementation so they could then file a grievance.

The players followed up Manfred’s claims by littering Twitter with “when and where” quotes.

The league offered a 60-game season with concessions to the players, including extra pay. The players declining this proposal with a 33-5 vote is pretty curious if you consider that the owners have the power to implement a season of about the same amount of games anyway.

Either way, they are going to play about 50-60 games, why not take the offer with more money? If the commissioner implements a 50-game season fully prorated pay, that’s still a lot less than the 104% offered with 10 extra games.

If they are indeed planning on forcing the commissioner to implement the schedule just so they can file a grievance then the whole “when and where” campaign will be seen as an insulting farce that could violently turn the tide against the players in the court of public opinion.

We now have other things to worry about. What happens when the players file a grievance? How many players will opt to sit out the season?

What are your thoughts? Will there be a 2020 season? Will the players file a grievance?