The Major League Baseball Players Association rejected MLB's request for federal mediation on Friday, leading to a large contingent of players irritated with the league's negotiating tactics during the work stoppage.
Max Scherzer, Zack Britton, and James Paxton - three of the eight players who make up the MLBPA's executive subcommittee - tweeted their frustrations moments after the union announced the rejection.
We don’t need mediation because what we are offering to MLB is fair for both sides:
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) February 4, 2022
We want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps, allows younger players to realize more of their market value, makes service time manipulation a thing of the past, and eliminate tanking as a winning strategy.
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) February 4, 2022
When attempting to negotiate a collectively bargained agreement… “bargaining” is required. #AtTheTable #StillWaiting https://t.co/NU08uInVME
— Zack Britton (@zbritton) February 4, 2022
A significant part of Collective Bargaining is…actually bargaining #AtTheTable
— James Paxton (@James_Paxton) February 4, 2022
A number of their peers commented on the situation as well, most of whom tagged their posts with #AtTheTable.
Seems to me like in order to get a Collective Bargaining Agreement done, you need to bargain… players remain waiting #AtTheTable https://t.co/igguDhDq07
— Whit Merrifield (@WhitMerrifield) February 4, 2022
Based on the incredible annual revenue of the league, we feel players with 0-3 years of service should be better compensated.
— Whit Merrifield (@WhitMerrifield) February 4, 2022
We want to fix the competitive balance so EVERY team’s focus is winning year after year
We want to fix service time manipulation https://t.co/N5z5peN9wb
A significant part of Collective Bargaining is…actually bargaining #AtTheTable
— Mitch Haniger (@M_Hanny17) February 4, 2022
Your favorite team should be trying to win. https://t.co/pjIATXJTZv
— Mitch Haniger (@M_Hanny17) February 4, 2022
A significant part of Collective Bargaining is…actually bargaining #AtTheTable”
— Nicholas Pivetta (@Npivetta27) February 4, 2022
“Rob implemented a lockout to ‘jumpstart the negotiations’.Now MLB refuses to make a counterproposal. Not sure thats the definition of “jumpstarting”. #MLB #MLBPA pic.twitter.com/1YZxBLpL9O
If the goal is to get players on the field asap- then why did it take 43 days after the lockout to even hear from MLB? Didn’t seem like a priority then! Why did we not get a counter proposal this week? It’s all extremely tired antics/optics.
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) February 4, 2022
It would probably take 2 weeks just for an “impartial” mediator to get caught up enough to proceed. They’d then use an already broken system/CBA as guideline toward a new deal. Makes zero sense for anybody. Players are ready to make a fair/mutually beneficial deal! #AtTheTable
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022
While some players were blunt with their responses about the lockout, others like Ian Happ, Steven Souza, and Trevor Williams poked fun at the contentious situation.
MLB Steps to Negotiating:
— Ian Happ (@ihapp_1) February 4, 2022
1. Commit to making a counter
2. Refuse to make that counter
3. Say they need a mediator
We’re all forced to drink the Lockout Blend https://t.co/oXMlZiHLny pic.twitter.com/dQyJoPDZ7I
I think Rob Manfred and Tony Clark should play 1 on 1 pickup basketball to 11 for all the marbles!
— Steven Souza (@SouzaJr) February 4, 2022
Do you now understand why we didn’t agree to The Mediator? https://t.co/virWzwwj0g
— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) February 4, 2022
Even former big-league pitcher Dallas Braden got involved by lashing out at the league in a video, calling MLB's negotiating tactics "laughable."
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) February 4, 2022
MLB and its players have been in a work stoppage since the last collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 1. The two sides have made little progress in negotiations since, putting the mid-February start of spring training in jeopardy.
