THE BATTLE IS OVER BUT THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN

Waive the white flag of surrender! On Saturday night the union rejected MLB's latest "Return to Play" proposal and made it clear...they've had enough.

The time for negotiating is done. Failed and disgraced commissioner Rob Manfred is going to unilaterally force a 2020 season so they are just going to play at Manfred's discretion. Here is the official statement from Tony Clark:

"TELL US WHEN AND WHERE" and not just that, "We demand that you inform us of your plans by close of business on Monday, June 15." The deadline is superficial at best, they cannot force the deadline but it definitely shows us how unhappy the union is.

So the players begrudgingly accept that they will have to play Manfred's shortened season but tension will be long lasting after news broke that MLB is finalizing a billion-dollar broadcasting deal with Turner Sports that will begin in 2022, read more HERE. So after months of listening to owners complain about lost profits, they will still be able to cash in later.

This isn't going to sit well with the union. Long lasting impact will remain and the collective bargaining agreement expires in 18 months. The players union could choose to file a grievance alleging that MLB did not negotiate in good faith and schedule as many games as possible. In turn, MLB could refute and say the union did not negotiate pay in good faith. A grievance could take several years before it concludes and the players could get back some money in a settlement similar to what we saw happen in the 1980's.....or could we see another strike?

Even if there is no grievance, animosity and distrust will remain. The emotions and events from the past few months will not fade away and it could shape the future of this game. It could cast an even
darker shadow on the sport and infuriate more fans. It's not a good look for baseball right now.

So the league may have one for now. One side had to eventually cave, and ultimately Manfred's unilateral power was not going to allow the players union to come out the winner. So now the union looks like they are choosing to "be the bigger person" and give up. Both sides have reached an impasse, the union will no longer fight, so now it could be all up to Mindless Manfred.

So we are finally getting closer to baseball. Other sports are on their way back, and baseball is long past due. It is time to get America's Favorite Pastime back and get through the ugliness of the past could of months...for now. There will be plenty more ugliness ahead I am sure. The battle may be over, and MLB may have won....but the war is yet to come and the union has time to prepare.

Now it is time to play ball, whether the players like it or not.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj