Blue Jays pitcher Jameson Taillon publicly accused Major League Baseball of manipulating public opinion ahead of a possible lockout, firing back at a league video outlining proposed changes to the next collective bargaining agreement.
The video, posted to MLB’s social media accounts, featured executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword discussing three major changes the league wants to make. MLB described the proposed changes as “a win for everybody.”
Taillon, a 10-year veteran, disagreed sharply in a post on X.
“This is comically bad. They’re being very careful and selective of what they’re saying/showing and how they’re delivering it,” Taillon wrote.
“This is going to be ugly if they’re trying to sway fan/public support weeks before they even lock us out. At the end of the day- they want to drive down salaries and put more money in the pockets of billionaires.”
“Nobody wins except them. Simple as that. It’s not about competition. It’s never been about competition for them, it just is a nice cover up.”
Taillon is not alone in his criticism. The Players Association and several player agents have pushed back against MLB’s proposed changes, particularly a push toward a salary cap. Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, who represents Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was blunt in his opposition.
“Over our dead bodies are we going to accept a cap and further restraints on salaries,” Wolfe said.
Unlike the NFL and NBA, baseball has operated without a salary cap or floor and has still seen financial growth in recent years. MLB’s argument that spending caps would improve competitive fairness was undercut by this year’s World Series, which was won by the Brewers despite the team carrying only the 19th-highest payroll in the league.
High spending has not guaranteed postseason success elsewhere, either. Both the Blue Jays and the Mets spent heavily in the offseason yet missed the playoffs.
The dispute comes as the league and the players’ union head toward negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, with the possibility of a lockout looming in the coming weeks.
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