MAJOR League Baseball (MLB) players are upset over the prospect that teams may seek additional pay cuts if games are played in empty stadiums due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Their anger intensified last week when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was told by Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon that the union would have to agree to lower salaries if games are played without fans.

A March 26 deal between the sides stated “the office of the commissioner and Players Association will discuss in good faith the economic feasibility of playing games in the absence of spectators or at appropriate substitute neutral sites.” The union points to another passage covering salaries in which players agree to give up 1/162nd of base pay for each regular season game lost.

“Players recently reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that outlines economic terms for resumption of play, which included significant salary adjustments and a number of other compromises. That negotiation is over,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement on Monday.

“We’re now focused on discussing ways to get back on the field under conditions that prioritise the health and wellbeing of players and their families, coaches, umpires, team staff and fans,” he said.

The agreement says that without consent by the commissioner’s office, the season won’t start until there are no official restrictions that would limit teams from playing in front of fans in the 30 clubs’ home ballparks. It also states “the commissioner will consider the use of appropriate substitute neutral sites where economically feasible.”

“In the agreement reached earlier this spring, the commissioner’s office and the MLBPA agreed that the season would not commence until normal operations — including fans in our home stadiums — were possible,” deputy commissioner Dan Halem said in a statement, going on to cite the provision for future talks. “If circumstances require, we will, consistent with our agreement with the union, negotiate in good faith over a framework to resume play without fans that is economically feasible for the sport.”

There is little chance for a full 162-game schedule, and players stand to forfeit from $222,222 (£178,339) for each game missed (Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole) to £2,780 for those at the £452,282 minimum. St Louis reliever Andrew Miller, a member of the union’s eight-man executive committee, would lose £56,908 per game of his £9.2 million salary.

“My understanding is that we already have an agreement in place regarding salary for the 2020 season when it resumes,” Miller said.

“Additionally, while ideas regarding games without fans or in neutral sites have been floated, nothing is even close to being put in place. It makes little sense to even attempt to negotiate around such hypotheticals at this point. If at some point there is any negotiation to be had, our leadership from the association will be ready to handle it.”

Among the plans baseball is considering is the Arizona option, in which all 30 teams would be based in the Phoenix area and use 10 spring training ballparks, the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field and perhaps college venues. The plan has been discussed only generally, and MLB has said no proposal can move forward unless there is a go-ahead from government and medical officials.

In order for the season to start, MLB would need about 3,000 people to be tested on a regular basis: players, staff and broadcast crews.

Manfred made a move on Monday that allows teams to lay off or cut the pay of major and minor-league managers, coaches, trainers and full-time scouts starting on May 1. He suspended uniform employee contacts that cover about 9,000 people, including general managers on some teams.

Several teams have said that they will pay their employees or baseball operations staff through May.