Blake Snell Contract: How Much Money Will MLB Player Make In 2020 Season?

As MLB tries to find a way to salvage the 2020 season, one player has created headlines for his thoughts on baseball’s potential return. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell said he doesn’t want to play during the coronavirus pandemic if it means taking another massive pay cut.

The league is reportedly looking to restart spring training on June 10 and set Opening Day for July 1. A proposal from the owners includes a 50-50 revenue split for players in light of a reduced schedule with no fans in attendance.

“Y’all gotta understand, man, for me to go -- for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof,” Snell said on his Twitch channel. “It’s a shorter season, less pay.”

The MLB Players Association agreed in March for the players to take a prorated portion of their salaries. Snell echoed the sentiment expressed by MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, who said Monday that the players shouldn’t agree for their pay to be restricted by revenue.

“No, I gotta get my money,” Snell said. “I’m not playing unless I get mine, OK? And that’s just the way it is for me. Like, I’m sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way the hell higher and the amount of money I’m making is way lower. Why would I think about doing that?”

Snell agreed to a five-year, $50 million extension in March 2019. According to Spotrac, the 27-year-old was initially set to earn a $7 million salary for the 2020 season.

The new proposal reportedly calls for an 82-game regular-season schedule. That means Snell would make $3.54 million if he’s paid a prorated salary.

It’s unknown exactly how much money Snell will earn if the players accept the 50-50 revenue split. According to MLB officials, teams will lose about 40% of their revenue by playing games without fans.

“Bro, I’m risking my life,” Snell said. “What do you mean it should not be a thing? It should 100% be a thing. If I’m gonna play, I should be getting the money I signed to be getting paid. I should not be getting half of what I'm getting paid because the season’s cut in half, on top of a 33% cut of the half that’s already there -- so I'm really getting, like, 25%.”

Snell’s salary will be $1.75 million if he is forced to make 25% of what he originally signed for. The average salary for an MLB player in 2019 was $4.36 million.

Snell has earned $6.145 million in his MLB career. He’s gone 38-28 with a 3.24 ERA since making his major-league debut in 2016.

Snell won the 2018 AL Cy Young award with a 1.89 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 180.2 innings. He was limited to 107 innings last season because of an injury, going 6-8 with a 4.29 ERA.