SBN Reacts: Fans still cautiously optimistic baseball will return in July

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts (formerly known as SB Nation Fanpulse - why they changed it I can’t say, people just liked it better this way), a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Royals fans, sign up HERE to join SBN Reacts.

As businesses begin to open up again, we should see baseball returning some time this summer. However owners and players appear to be at an impasse over how much of a pay cut players should receive for what will be a truncated season. The owners originally floated a 50/50 revenue sharing idea, before officially proposing a sliding scale that would have cut top salaries by 75 percent. The MLBPA has suggested a 114-game schedule, while owners rejected that idea and may suggest a 50-game schedule instead.

This all comes with less than a month to go before the target date to resume the regular season, meaning that if players are to get warmed up for spring training soon, an agreement must be had soon. Despite a looming deadline, fans still seem rather optimistic baseball will begin in early July, with 58 percent of our SBN Reacts respondents expecting baseball by then.

Time is running out however, and players will need some time to get back in playing shape. Fans think at least two weeks of spring training will be needed before the regular season can begin.

A fight between billionaires and millionaires will never play well when unemployment is in double-digits and many are being furloughed or taking pay cuts. For now, at least, more of the blame seems to be being put on owners, at least according to our SBN Reacts fans. Two-thirds of respondents side with the players over the owners.

Remember, you can sign up to participate in the FanPulse SBN Reacts surveys at this link! Surveys will go out each week and only take a few minutes to complete. Check back next week for more SBN Reacts results!