The MLB – Players Association feud is still preventing the sides from reaching a new deal for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
There is, quite clearly, some bad blood between the two, dating back from 2020 negotiations for the pandemic season and subsequent talks about the new CBA, as the old one expired in December.
Players have been very vocal about their desire to get a good deal, one that is fairer than the ones they have had to sign recently.
However, some people are just happy to be away from this mess.
A Former Star Pitcher Is Relieved He Is Not In This Mess
That’s precisely the case of Jered Weaver, who pitched 12 seasons in the majors.
“I ended my career at the perfect time… baseball is getting ridiculous these days in all aspects of the game,” he tweeted, before wishing good luck to the players in their negotiation for a new, fair CBA.
I ended my career at the perfect time.. baseball is getting ridiculous these days in all aspects of the game. Good luck @mlb players
— Jered Weaver (@Weave1036) February 5, 2022
Both sides have been negotiating for a while now, but talks went nowhere late last year.
Teams, agents, players, and fans all knew there wouldn’t be a deal before the lockout deadline, December 1, so most of them rushed to get a team before that date.
Then early December came, owners locked out players, and transactions were frozen until a new CBA is reached.
The sides, in what can be seen as a huge waste of time, didn’t even talk for nearly six weeks, until mid-January.
Not only have they not reached a deal, but they are also very far apart in their respective demands.
Weaver’s tweet can be interpreted in several ways, but he did show support to the players and point out a painful reality: things are getting ridiculous, and players and fans are the most affected parties in all this mess.
Players won’t earn a dime for regular season games they don’t play, and that’s why the possibility of losing games is not very promising for most of them.
Some players have even said they don’t mind losing a few games if that’s what it takes to negotiate a fair deal.
However, it’s easy for the most accomplished players to say that: younger players haven’t made life-changing money yet, and must also be considered.
Things Are Getting Out Of Hand
In any case, Weaver, who played 11 of his 12 MLB seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, is right: things are getting out of hand.
The right-hander finished with a 150-93 record and a 3.55 career ERA, and was in the top five in the AL Cy Young Award race from 2010 to 2012.
He won 20 games in that 2012 campaign, and is actually eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame next year, in 2023.
Other players that can be on the ballot for the first time in 2023:
Carlos Beltrán
John Lackey
Francisco Rodríguez
Jayson Werth
Matt Cain
Jered Weaver
R.A. Dickey
J.J. Hardy https://t.co/VBrEcGw4Ey— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) January 26, 2022
In any case, he, as nearly every former and current major leaguer, surely wants talks to move at a faster pace, so spring training and the regular season can start as scheduled.
MLB will present a new offer to players on Saturday, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday that he expects it to get both sides a lot closer than they are now.
Baseball needs to negotiate a new CBA deal, but it needs it to be fair for players.
Things have gotten so ugly that former stars are now happy they got out of the game in time to avoid seeing (and living) this mess.
