Although Major League Baseball and the Players Association reached an agreement on March 26 that addressed service time, pay and other matters for what was shaping to be an unprecedented 2020 regular season, the deal ultimately wound up dividing the two parties.
Team owners began to claim paying players prorated salaries was no longer feasible due to the likelihood that at minimum the season would begin without fans begin able to attend games. MLB presented the union with multiple alternative financial plans, though they largely were
The MLBPA remained firm in their demands to receive the full prorated salaries that were agreed to in March, and the sides never managed to find common ground.