The labor conflict between MLB and the Players Association doesn’t seem to have an ending, or at least a happy one.
MLB fans dream of having the 2022 season start on March 31, as previously scheduled, but that won’t be happening unless something really, really shocking occurs in the next few hours.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan wrote a column, mostly blaming the owners for the current state of baseball, on Monday.
“MLB did this. The owners’ arrogance. The mistreatment of players. As the league threatens to turn its lockout into a canceled Opening Day, the story of how something so very avoidable grew into Rob Manfred’s disastrous outcome,” was Passan’s introduction to his article via Twitter.
MLB did this. The owners' arrogance. The mistreatment of players. As the league threatens to turn its lockout into a canceled Opening Day, the story of how something so very avoidable grew into Rob Manfred's disastrous outcome.
Free and unlocked at ESPN:https://t.co/5WXA1tCHSl pic.twitter.com/HuAZgvZsrp
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 28, 2022
Among other things, Passan called the owners short-sighted and stubborn, saying that those who run a team “seemingly have designs on running the game into the ground.”
“Player pay has decreased for four consecutive years, even as industry revenues grew and franchise values soared and the would-be stewards of the game pleaded to anyone who would listen that owning a baseball team isn’t a particularly profitable venture. Players’ service time has been manipulated to keep them from free agency and salary arbitration. The luxury tax, instituted to discourage runaway spending, has morphed into a de facto salary cap, and too many teams are nowhere near it anyway, instead gutting their rosters and slashing their payrolls because the game’s rules incentivize losing,” Passan cleverly wrote.
An MLB player, known for being active on social media, had a joke on Passan’s latest column.
Thor Chimes In
Noah Syndergaard, who recently signed with the Los Angeles Angels, said: “I bet Passan won’t be making the Manfred Holiday Card list this year,” prompting a few hilarious replies.
I bet Passan won't be making the Manfred Holiday Card list this year. https://t.co/yIMqkHHlzd
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) February 28, 2022
MLB threatened to cancel a lot of games of the regular season today, perhaps up to a month, in their latest move to pressure players.
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