Grichuk rips Manfred, says owners are 'wasting time to get what they want'
MLB players are furious with the league and team owners as talks regarding a 2020 season remain at a standstill. Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk joined the fray on Friday night while voicing his frustrations on Twitter.
Can Manfred just implement the 48 game season already since we all know that’s all he’s trying to do here. These negotiations are brutal. All the owners are doing is wasting time to get what they want. This sucks.
— Randal Grichuk (@RGrich15) June 13, 2020
In March, the players agreed to prorated salaries based on the amount of games played in the 2020 season.
However, since fans likely won't be allowed at most potential games, owners have repeatedly said they can't fulfill that agreement due to the resulting losses. Owners also said there was room for renegotiation if fans couldn't attend contests, but the players' union disputes that claim.
Commissioner Rob Manfred can implement a season schedule unilaterally if an agreement isn't reached. If that happens, MLB and the owners are reportedly eyeing a 48-game campaign.
Grichuk engaged with fans replying to his tweet throughout the night, expanding on his thoughts about how the league and owners are handling the stoppage.
Thank you. It’s not smart for the owners to bash their product (the players) in the media and make us look bad to have the public on their side. I don’t understand how that’s a good business move.
— Randal Grichuk (@RGrich15) June 13, 2020
And while he didn't directly call for Manfred's resignation, Grichuk didn't seem opposed to the idea when it was presented to him.
That’s a good question, wonder if we can look into that.
— Randal Grichuk (@RGrich15) June 13, 2020