There has been no recent movement in the talks between MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) regarding the possible implementation of an extended Postseason or the universal designated hitter for the 2021 season, details the journalist Evan Drellich, from Athletic. There are no current plans to review those talks, according to Drellich, who characterizes the expansion of the Playoffs and the National League designee as “dead issues” for next season.
Last summer, MLB and MLBPA agreed to a extended playoff format for 16 teams by 2020, just hours before the start of the regular season, and players received $ 50MM of Postseason TV revenue. In a typical Postseason, players receive a portion of the box office proceeds.
While Drellich cautions that another last-minute deal “can never be totally ruled out,” tonight’s report is the strongest indication yet that the broad season structure is ready to return to its pre-2020 state. ( The two sides agreed on health and safety protocols last month, so the seven-inning double-day rules and additional ticket modifications will return.)
Universal DH was included as part of the health and safety protocols last season, but that was not the case this time. During the offseason, MLB tried to harness player interest in the NL designated hitter as part of a new deal on financial issues, notably the expansion of the Playoffs. The MLBPA has consistently rejected that framework, fearing that lowering the bar to reach the playoffs will reduce teams’ incentives to invest in their rosters.
Athletic reporter Ken Rosenthal reported in January that MLB had offered players a pool of $ 80MM in Playoff revenue if they signed on to the Postseason expansion. That would have marked a pretty significant increase from last season’s $ 50 million figure, but players didn’t feel that represented a huge improvement on the status quo.
As Drellich points out, the MLBPA has more reason to be optimistic about the possibility of generating incoming revenue this postseason. With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines expected to increase substantially in the coming months, the possibility of fans attending Playoff games looks much more realistic in 2021 than it did last season.
It is worth remembering that the MLBPA is not required to negotiate any changes to the Playoff format. In the absence of a new agreement, the 2016-2021 collective bargaining agreement remains in effect to govern the structure of the season.
However, without reaching an agreement on the expansion of the Playoffs, it seems that MLB is not willing to accept the implementation of the universal DH. Some in the league office believe the addition of the designated hitter at this late date would threaten competitive integrity, according to Drellich, as NL teams would have little ability to acquire positional help at this time.
There is some truth to that, but nonetheless, it is an odd argument in the wake of a 2020 season in which MLB and MLBPA frequently agreed on significant structural changes (including the implementation of DH on the National) on the fly.
Even if this marks the end of discussions about expanding the Playoffs and universal DH for 2021, the issues are sure to come up again in the near future. These will undoubtedly be key issues as the parties negotiate a new collective agreement after the current one expires on December 1.
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