MLB has discussed the potential of playing a much shorter regular season, which would pay players their full prorated salaries, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

MLB has thought of playing around 50 games in the regular season, starting in July, though it’s not expected to propose this to the players, who recently countered with a 114-game season with full proration of their salaries and no further cuts.

This scenario, however, would be one that would be put in play if the owners and players can’t come to an agreement soon enough. The sides are vastly far apart as the owners’ initial pitch offered 82 games and a series of ascending-scale bracket cuts that would see some of the game’s biggest stars make only a very small portion of their already prorated salaries.

Outraged by the proposal, players countered by making no concessions, standing firm against a league proposal that simply was too far removed from actual baseball-worthy compensation.

The counterproposal of a 114-game schedule would cover 70.3% of the players’ original salaries (114 games out of the customary 162). Yet this truncated 50-game option is a last resort and a potential scare tactic for both sides to get serious and hammer out a deal.

Language in the March agreement between players and owners would give commissioner Rob Manfred the green light to push out a season schedule after “good faith” discussions between the league and the union:

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“Based on that feedback received from the Players Association, the Office of the Commissioner will construct and provide to the Players Association, as promptly as possible, a proposed 2020 championship season and postseason schedule (or multiple schedule options) using best efforts to play as many games as possible, while taking into account player safety and health, rescheduling needs, competitive considerations, stadium availability, and the economic feasibility of various alternatives.”

The owners have already overplayed their hand with the initial pitch, which lit a fire into the players, who are now more tactically aware of where they stand. Some team owners are reportedly 100% fine canceling the 2020 season altogether, but the two sides will have to inch closer to an agreement or risk having one being made for them in the near future.