As far as Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is concerned, there is no reason to continue talks with the league about pay cuts during the negotiations for a revamped 2020 baseball season.
Scherzer, who is one of the player reps in talks with Major League Baseball about the scheme to launch a truncated 2020 season, now seems very pessimistic about an agreement being reached.
The Nats player issued a statement on Wednesday:
After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players, there’s no reason to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions. We have previously negotiated a pay cut in the version of prorated salaries, and there’s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received. I’m glad to hear other players voicing the same viewpoint and believe MLB’s economic strategy would completely change if all documentation were to become public information.
Scherzer is a member of the eight-player MLBPA executive subcommittee. The other members include Andrew Miller (Cardinals), Daniel Murphy (Nationals), Elvis Andrus (Rangers), Cory Gearrin (Twins), Chris Iannetta (Yankees), James Paxton (Yankees), and Collin McHugh (Red Sox).
A major stumbling block for the negotiations is that the teams have closed their books, and the numbers are unavailable for the players to look at to double-check what the league is saying about the effects the COVID-19 pandemic is having on finances.
The player’s union is reportedly preparing a counter-proposal to the league’s offer for a 2020 season featuring a more than 100-game schedule and guaranteed prorated salaries.
However, if Scherzer’s sentiment is pervasive, then it looks like the two sides are still not in the same ballpark on negotiations.
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