After the Washington Nationals had already agreed to a contract with Max Scherzer, Major League Baseball (MLB) bought out his option and re-signed him. This is just one of many examples in MLB’s inept negotiating tactics.
The “max scherzer age” is the topic of this article. Max Scherzer, the pitcher for the Washington Nationals, was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade that sent away Patrick Corbin and Chris Martin. This trade has been criticized by many people because it’s clear that MLB has failed to negotiate with Scherzer.
On Tuesday, the MLB and MLBPA failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, prolonging the existing lockout in an unfathomable failure. For months, the lockout has been marked by vitriol, with players accusing MLB of being deceitful about the likelihood of a settlement in the small hours of Tuesday morning.
The characterization of New York Mets signee and MLBPA head Max Scherzer by MLB was one of the oddest occurrences.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, has always been a fierce competitor on the mound. Naturally, the 37-year-old campaigned for the next generation of players with the same vigor at the bargaining table.
Scherzer’s commitment to the players and his intelligence seemed to stun MLB officials, adding to the league’s total ineptitude throughout the process.
Max Scherzer is said to have “rattled” certain MLB players.
Max Scherzer has ruffled some feathers in recent days with his strong negotiation approach. “A very knowledgeable and extremely successful advocate is a very seasoned and substantively prepared active hall of famer,” Scott Boras said when asked about it.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) March 1, 2022
Scherzer is a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve. With a steely glare crawling over the webbing of his glove, he stares holes through batters and yells at his own management when he believes he’s being removed too early.
The St. Louis native, it seemed, brought the same zeal to the CBA discussions.
Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported that Scherzer “rattled” some in MLB’s camp with a “tough negotiating style.” The best part about it is that it gave way to a Scott Boras-ism, of sorts.
Boras, Scherzer’s agent, said MLB executives lacked judgment if they thought the league could just walk over someone like Scherzer.
“A well-informed and well-prepared current Hall of Famer is a very knowledgeable and effective advocate.”
–Scott Boras, via SNY.tv, on Max Scherzer
This does seem to be a crock of you-know-what from MLB.
What did MLB have in mind?
Max Scherzer (L) and Rob Manfred (R) | Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images | Left to Right: Max Scherzer and Rob Manfred and Getty Images/Julio Aguilar
Although it’s understandable that Max Scherzer’s vehemence would turn some people off, the league’s assumption that Scherzer would rest on his laurels in talks is ludicrous.
As a union leader, Scherzer was responsible for advocating for all present minor leaguers and future generations, as well as his big league counterparts. Of course, he’ll bring a tough-guy attitude to the table.
Because players believe they received the short end of the stick in the previous CBA, the MLBPA is upset and expecting MLB to arrange a lockout. That factor explains why the league and players were unable to reach an agreement on the competitive balance tax (CBT) thresholds and bonus pool money for players before arbitration.
“Well, Scherzer is part of the issue since he’ll earn over $43 million this season,” you would argue… Please, give me a break.
Scherzer would not have been at the table if he didn’t have a strong desire to improve the game and watch out for his teammates. He could have spent this time with his wife, Erica, and their three children just as easily. That would have been a lot more fun than squabbling in a room with individuals who don’t want to deal honestly.
MLB is the source of the issue. The league built its bed with an arrogant, condescending, and simply stupid attitude to CBA discussions when it opted to lock out the players.
Everything was in a state of flux.
The strange depiction of Max Scherzer is just one example of MLB’s complete lack of readiness and, frankly, haste in reaching an agreement to end the lockout.
During a Tuesday evening press conference, Commissioner Rob Manfred tried to play things up for the fans. His answers were littered with falsities and non-answers. He avoided a question about failing to kickstart CBA talks with MLBPA until essentially the last week of a self-imposed deadline. Manfred also spoke about financial hardships, even though MLB’s revenue jumped to $10.7 billion before the pandemic, per the Boston Herald.
Ross Stripling, the MLBPA’s player representative for the Toronto Blue Jays, made one of the most significant disclosures.
Stripling said (via Sportsnet) that around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, MLB sought to “slip items” into the small print of the CBT plan, elements the players hadn’t seen until then. According to the comment, a deal was never as near as MLB insiders said. According to Stripling, the league feared the MLBPA would implode if it faced the prospect of losing game checks.
The players, on the other hand, have always presented a united face. Furthermore, they’ve been considerably more sensible in their arguments, citing dropping average and median player pay, as well as the eroding middle ground in free agency, over the last few years, even as owners cash out or limit possible losses by drastically cutting spending.
The first two series of the 2022 season have already been lost by baseball fans. However, considering MLB’s inept handling of CBA negotiations this week, it’s reasonable to question if there will be a season at all.
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