NEW YORK (AP) — The average Major League Baseball salary dropped for an unprecedented third straight year, even before the shortened season caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Major League Baseball Players Association says the 2020 average would have been $3.89 million if a full season had been played. That was down 4.2% from the 2019 average of $4.05 million. Last year’s drop showed the widening imbalance between top stars and other players. The average fell despite Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon and Christian Yelich all starting long-term contracts guaranteeing $215 million or more. Players have been angered by club behavior in recent years, raising the chance of a work stoppage when the five-year collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1.
