Pedro Martinez has been retired for over 17 years, but he can still bring the heat.
The Hall of Fame pitcher, who was a member of the Montreal Expos during the 1994 strike that resulted in the cancelation of the remainder of the season, is now warning MLB to not risk missing games over labor negotiations.
"I'm pissed," Martinez said, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. "Honestly speaking, I'm pissed."
He added: "I feel for the fans, and I know when it's good. ... Baseball is good right now. So, stop the crap and get something done and don't lock out baseball for the fans."
MLB's current labor agreement is set to expire Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and the league is expected to lock out the MLBPA. Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated numerous times that the league's owners are aligned in implementing a salary cap, while the players are firmly against it.
The league's most recent proposal included a hard cap of $258.2 million for 2028 with a salary floor of $180.2 million.
MLB locked out its players for 99 days prior to agreeing to the current CBA in March 2022, though it prevented the loss of any regular-season games.
"I hope the commissioner can see me and hear (me) and the players' association hears what I have to say," Martinez said. "I might be insignificant, but I lived it before. I experienced that before."
He added: "Back then (in 1994), there was a need for other things to change, and they changed for the better. This time, there's no excuse - on both sides, not the PA, not the owners, not baseball. The fans do not deserve to be mistreated."
