Cincinnati Reds right-hander Trevor Bauer labeled Major League Baseball’s restart proposal as “laughable” on Wednesday.
FILE PHOTO: Sep 15, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (27) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Bauer, in fact, went into greater detail of what he found funny with agent Rachel Luba in a video published on YouTube.
“The ask is basically take more risk by getting back sooner and take less pay than we’ve already agreed,” Bauer said in the video. “We’ve already agreed to take … a 50 percent pay cut and now they’re asking us to take another pay cut.
“(A 50-50 revenue split) has never been done in baseball. It’s not collectively bargained. It would just be for this season. It doesn’t sit well with me. Slightly lighthearted, but if I’m gonna have to trust my salary to Rob Manfred marketing the game to make more money for the game, I am out on that.”
MLB owners and Manfred on Monday approved the league’s plan to start the 2020 season, with the proposal then being sent to the MLB Players Association.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the detailed outline covers 80 pages and provides a step-by-step return to spring training and beyond.
Owners approved restarting spring training with a goal of beginning the regular season around July 1. Under the plan, teams can hold spring training at their home ballparks or return to their usual spring training facilities in Florida or Arizona in mid-June.
Bauer, 29, hasn’t been shy about speaking his mind, and Manfred has previously been a target of his words. Bauer said in February that the commissioner’s decisions have contributed to baseball “losing popularity, especially amongst young people.”
“As the commissioner, figure it out man … how are we supposed to get them interested in the game when they can’t even see the damn game?” Bauer added at the time. “And on top of that, they can’t even go to Twitter, where all the young people hang out.”
Bauer also lowered the boom on the Houston Astros, labeling the team as cheaters and hypocrites for their role in a sign-stealing scandal.
Bauer owns a 70-60 record with a 4.04 ERA in 194 appearances (184 appearances) with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians and Reds. He was an All-Star in 2018 with the Indians.
—Field Level Media