MLB owners and players seem to be headed toward a fight over money as the league works to move ahead with the 2020 regular season, and one high-profile player has taken a firm stand against the potential pay cuts.
With the sport set to lose a significant chunk of revenue as fans will likely not be allowed to attend games for a long period, MLB owners have proposed a 50/50 split of revenue with the MLBPA, but the MLBPA believes such a deal would mean agreeing to a salary cap, something no player wants. A revenue split would also mean that players would not be paid 100 percent of their contract per game for 2020, and according to Rays pitcher Blake Snell, he won’t step on the field unless he gets his money, noting that the health risk is “through the roof.” Snell reacted to the proposal on a Twitch stream.
“No, I’m not splitting no revenue. I want all mine. Bro, y’all got to understand too, because y’all are going to be like ‘bro, Blake, play for the love of the game, man! What’s wrong with you bro? Money should not be a thing!’
Bro, I’m risking my life. What do you mean it should not be a thing? It 100 percent should be a thing. If I’m going to play, I should be at the money I signed to be getting paid. I should not be getting half of what I’m getting paid because the season’s cut in half, on top of a 33 percent cut of the half that’s already there. So I’m really getting like 25 percent. On top of that, it’s getting taxed. So imagine how much I’m actually making to play? You know what I’m saying? Like, I ain’t making [expletive], and on top of that, so all that money’s gone, now play risking my life.”
Blake Snell saying what a LOT of other players are thinking right now. I agree with him one thousand percent and I’d feel the exact same way if I were in his position. Good for him for saying it. pic.twitter.com/DHXsQPIAaF
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) May 14, 2020
Snell is in the second year of a backloaded five-year, $50 million contract with the Rays. He was set to earn $7 million in 2020. By his (questionable) formula, that would be reduced to approximately $1.75 million, but he does have the benefit of playing in a state with no state income tax.
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