MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is, without a doubt, one of the people to blame the most for the current fallout between owners and players in talks for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
He has been seen as the owners’ advocate, and nothing he has done has suggested that is a wrong statement.
Even worse is the fact that he has been lying from the start.
As MLB analyst Ben Verlander explains, his posturing didn’t fool anybody.
“Less than a month ago, the commissioner of Major League Baseball said ‘Missing games would be a disastrous outcome for baseball’. Today, he and his team stated a ‘Willingness to miss up to a month of games'”, Verlander said.
Less than a month ago, the commissioner of Major League Baseball said “Missing games would be a disastrous outcome for baseball”
Today, he and his team stated a “Willingness to miss up to a month of games”
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) February 28, 2022
Both statements, sadly, are right: he said the first line, and owners really suggested they are willing to cancel up to a month worth of games during Monday’s meeting.
Just One Of The Negotiating Parties Wants To Play 162 Games
MLB had stated to the Players Association that the season wouldn’t be played with a full, 162-game calendar if there was no deal by Monday, but the union never agreed to that deadline and lots of players saw it as a threat.
Manfred (and the owners’) change in tone is especially telling.
What does it tell us?
That they only want to negotiate a CBA deal that accommodates their needs, not the players’.
MLB won’t move on significant economic issues such as the competitive balance tax (CBT), the minimum salary, and the compensation for outstanding young players.
The Players Association seems to be the only side making an effort, and one would think that owners just don’t want to play and want to put enormous pressure on the players’ side to accept a deal they don’t want.
Stay tuned.
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Jeffrey Dueker says
The players don’t give a %^^&$ about the fans they just want to see how much money they can make. They already get millions of dollars for playing a kids game. It sucks. We fans already lost half a season because of covid now the players decided they wanted more money. BULL