MLB Hot Stove 2019-20

[Keithtisbarf]

The MLB? lol. If a player is truly concerned about "the covid" they should forfeit their pay for season and just not play. I was told by my friend who know a groundkeeper in management that is an option.

[buckchuckler]

Snell's comments are even more understandable with the safety outline the MLB has. Take a paycut to essentially stay in your house or at the ballpark for 4 straight months to play a modified version of your sport? Thanks but no thanks. If I was a player and you pay me what I signed to I'll hold up my end of the bargain but there's no chance I'm taking a paycut for the garbage laid out by the MLB.

Some more of Snell's comments...  Just for reference.  It seems his opinion has changed a bit.

"I think the media kind of hypes up the coronavirus," Snell said. "If they want to look out for our health, that's cool.

"But I'm not too worried about it. If I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't. Either way it was meant to be."


https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2020/03/11/rays-blake-snell-says-coronavirus-is-overhyped-if-i-get-it-i-get-it/

[#UnleashSean]

Snell has a 5 year 50 million dollar contract. Meanwhile I have employees making 13 dollars an hour in direct service of covid patients. He's a bit out of touch

[The Sultan]

The MLB? lol. If a player is truly concerned about "the covid" they should forfeit their pay for season and just not play. I was told by my friend who know a groundkeeper in management that is an option.

Is Snell suggesting that he should sit out the year AND get paid?  If so, that's ridiculous.

[dgies9156]

I'm on the players' side regarding how they should get paid. Don't pay them for the games that aren't played, of course, but they should get every dime they're owed for the games that are played.
But public statements how "I gots to get paid" and "I'm putting my life at risk" are idiotic and drain away what public support you have as players.
Doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, meat plant workers, construction workers, etc., are putting their lives at risk. A 27-year-old athlete playing baseball in a highly controlled environment surrounded by top-level medical care is not putting his life at risk.

I see it very simple.

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association signed a contract. The contract calls for the owners to pay the players based on certain conditions. The players accepted the contract and agreed to be paid for the work they did.

If the owners don't like it, you can ask the players to reopen negotiations. But if the players say "no," you have a contract and you have to live by it.

Period, end of discussion.

If you don't like the contract, negotiate a new one next time the contract comes due. But honor your obligations in the meantime.

[4everwarriors]

Snell refusin' work? Now da mofo is disqualified from collectin' unemployment plus $600/week. Watt an idiot, hey?

[Lennys Tap]

Snell has a 5 year 50 million dollar contract. Meanwhile I have employees making 13 dollars an hour in direct service of covid patients. He's a bit out of touch

Ya think?

I generally support the players, don't think they're overpaid, hate it when the owners cry poor, etc. - but I have zero empathy/sympathy for Snell's "problems" given the state of our world today.

[wadesworld]

Ya think?

I generally support the players, don't think they're overpaid, hate it when the owners cry poor, etc. - but I have zero empathy/sympathy for Snell's "problems" given the state of our world today.

Read his comments, which a number of stars have come out and supported. He never claimed to have any "problems."

[#UnleashSean]

Read his comments, which a number of stars have come out and supported. He never claimed to have any "problems."

I'm very glad that someone as down on their luck as Snell is has someone like you to support him in his fight against those evil billionaires! God, how can a man live without a 2nd vacation home?

[wadesworld]

I'm very glad that someone as down on their luck as Snell is has someone like you to support him in his fight against those evil billionaires! God, how can a man live without a 2nd vacation home?

Again, read his comments.  That's not his point.

[The Sultan]

I'm very glad that someone as down on their luck as Snell is has someone like you to support him in his fight against those evil billionaires! God, how can a man live without a 2nd vacation home?

Sure it can be argued that baseball players make more money than they should.  But I don't understand why he should be criticized because he doesn't want to work for less money given the circumstances. 

And I agree with wades that it is odd that people are coming down on him for not wanting to play for less, instead of the owners who after years of escalating franchise values spurred a great deal by taxpayer subsidies for their stadiums, have gotten much more wealthy than the players.

And Snell owes nothing to the fans.  I've seen that line a lot and it just isn't true.  He's a guy doing his job.

[4everwarriors]

More wisdom sprewin' from the mouths of pampered, spoiled, and entitled athletes. I get it. They have extraordinary athletic ability, BFD. In today's world of pain and sufferin', no one wants to listen to an athlete spout off on the fact he has to pay taxes on income, get full pay for half a schedule of work, and is putting his life on the line when going back to work. Oh, and btw, Blake Snell is a certifiable idiot, aina?

[MU82]

More wisdom sprewin' from the mouths of pampered, spoiled, and entitled athletes. I get it. They have extraordinary athletic ability, BFD. In today's world of pain and sufferin', no one wants to listen to an athlete spout off on the fact he has to pay taxes on income, get full pay for half a schedule of work, and is putting his life on the line when going back to work. Oh, and btw, David Snell is a certifiable idiot, aina?

I usually stick up for the athletes, but I have to agree with pretty much all of this, Doc.

[Jockey]

More wisdom sprewin' from the mouths of pampered, spoiled, and entitled athletes. I get it. They have extraordinary athletic ability, BFD. In today's world of pain and sufferin', no one wants to listen to an athlete spout off on the fact he has to pay taxes on income, get full pay for half a schedule of work, and is putting his life on the line when going back to work. Oh, and btw, David Snell is a certifiable idiot, aina?

What athlete has demanded full pay for half a season?

[Keithtisbarf]

What athlete has demanded full pay for half a season?

Snell?

[4everwarriors]

Blake Snell aka moron, hey?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHJ_FPsrmxs

[The Sultan]

So it starts with Boomer comparing baseball players to "essential workers."  No offense but that's a stupid comparison.  "Essential workers" have become the new "the troops."  We are going to praise them endlessly, hold them up as an impossible-to-meet standard to bash down others, but in the end we aren't going to pay or provide for them like we should because...well...that's expensive and hard.

Anyway, Snell can do what he wants.  It may be tone deaf, but if he doesn't want to play for what he would make, that's his right.

[MUBurrow]

Blake Snell aka moron, hey?

Half price werk on da toofers till the plague passes, doc?

Yes, Snell comes off as tonedeaf.  But at the end of the day he's saying this - https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/29201581/lee-westwood-cites-quarantine-issues-travel-us-pga-tour-events.

And yet no one is jumping out of their shoes to try to score easy PR points to feel better about themselves and dunk on Lee Westwood.  I've already seen Tom Glavine and Bryce Harper come out in general support of Snell's comments, and I'm sure there's more.  And using essential workers to slam Snell in service of MLB owners' profit position is manipulative and disrespectiful of essential workers and misguided. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Blake Snell aka moron, hey?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHJ_FPsrmxs

Boomer & Gio - That's my morning show listen.

[Lennys Tap]

Half price werk on da toofers till the plague passes, doc?

Yes, Snell comes off as tonedeaf.  But at the end of the day he's saying this - https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/29201581/lee-westwood-cites-quarantine-issues-travel-us-pga-tour-events.

"At the end of the day?" LOL.

I've read what Snell said about "the 'rona" and "gettin' his".

Westwood's remarks were well reasoned, mature and thoughtful. Snell's were self centered and childish. Not the same at the end of any day.

[The Sultan]

"At the end of the day?" LOL.

I've read what Snell said about "the 'rona" and "gettin' his".

Westwood's remarks were well reasoned, mature and thoughtful. Snell's were self centered and childish. Not the same at the end of any day.

They had the same essential meaning.  How is this statement not self-centered?

"Right now, I won't be playing them," Westwood said in the interview. "Not with having to leave here two weeks before, quarantine, then play the two tournaments, then come back here and quarantine again. It's six weeks for two tournaments, and to me, that's just not worth it.

"And it's not worth taking the risk if everybody thinks that those kind of precautions have got to be in place. I don't feel like golf's a priority if it's that severe.''

And IMO I am OK with both of them being self-centered if they want to be.  But just because someone uses language in a different manner doesn't mean they are meaning something different.

[MUBurrow]

Westwood's remarks were well reasoned, mature and thoughtful. Snell's were self centered and childish. Not the same at the end of any day.

Agree to disagree.  I'm not going to change anyone's mind on this, but I feel pretty strongly this is more about people's position on who gets to say these things vs what was actually said. 

Snell and Westwood both said that given the health risks from covid, they won't participate in their sport for what they deem to be meager compensation vs their standard comp. 

Snell's comments are less articulate becuase he's 27 and was talking while playing video games. He's also angrier becaues his career earnings to date are $6M while being a cy young candidate, and he was to double those earnings with his 2020 salary alone due to his contract extension - a salary which the owners now want to reduce below the pro-ration for only playing part of the season.  If he sits this year out, he's putting his money where his mouth is more than just about anyone that's spoken out on this so far.

[Lennys Tap]

They had the same essential meaning.  How is this statement not self-centered?

"Right now, I won't be playing them," Westwood said in the interview. "Not with having to leave here two weeks before, quarantine, then play the two tournaments, then come back here and quarantine again. It's six weeks for two tournaments, and to me, that's just not worth it.

"And it's not worth taking the risk if everybody thinks that those kind of precautions have got to be in place. I don't feel like golf's a priority if it's that severe.''

And IMO I am OK with both of them being self-centered if they want to be.  But just because someone uses language in a different manner doesn't mean they are meaning something different.

Fluff

If Snell had to fly to England on his own dime, quarantine without playing (or being paid) for two weeks, play baseball for two weeks (and be paid only if he performs well) and then fly home on his own dime, quarantine and not play for two weeks (or be paid) - then I would agree that their circumstances were close to the same. I just don't see it that way.

[buckchuckler]

Is being 27 an excuse for being inarticulate? Seems pretty old for that.

[Hards Alumni]

Is being 27 an excuse for being inarticulate? Seems pretty old for that.

I know plenty of people over 27 that are inarticulate.  Tying it to age does seem a bit silly.