After the Los Angeles Dodgers failed to sign any of the marquee free agents over the winter, the club made their long-awaited splash by completing a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire Mookie Betts and David Price.
They duo was introduced at Dodger Stadium just before the start of Spring Training, and their presence at Camelback Ranch naturally led to plenty of excitement and anticipation for the regular season.
Of course, that has since come to a grinding halt as Major League Baseball was forced to delay the start of the season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. And despite a March 26 agreement between MLB and the Players Association, the two sides now remain at odds.
As friction has continued to increase over recent weeks, multiple players have posted to social media about their willingness to take the field. Price expressed a similar sentiment during an appearance on the “Big Swing Podcast” with Ross Stripling and Cooper Surles:
“Players are obviously ready to play. We’ve stated that. It’s just we’ve got to get to some comm ground with the owners. They said they weren’t going to send any more negotiations or whatever it was over. I think what we’ve been doing as players and a union is standing strong, which is the right thing. This is how we got where we are right now as a union and players in Major League Baseball. They’ve always stood together, didn’t cross that picket line and they continued to fight for what we have right now.
“I feel like that’s the same thing we have to do for the next generation. We have to continue to fight for what the guys before us fought for. That’s how we got to where we are and we owe it to that next generation to do the same thing for them. But I hope we play. I think we will play. It just depends on how many games and whatever the pay is.”
As MLB has presented various proposals, the MLBPA has remained staunch in their quest to receive the previously agreed upon prorated salaries. The latest move came from the union, as they proposed an 89-game season with full prorated salaries and expanded postseason this year and next.
However, MLB is expected to reject that offer and move closer to commissioner Rob Manfred imposing a shortened (50 to 60 games) season.
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