Major League Baseball players are voicing their frustrations over the lockout and forced cancellation of games and Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is no exception.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward took to Instagram Wednesday to voice his frustrations with the canceling of games by Major League Baseball on Tuesday after negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement fell through.
Heyward accuses MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred of being relieved the players did not accept the deal offered by owners. “… We were going to start the season … which all along he didn’t want to start on time.”
Heyward said the main discussions, such as league minimums, extended playoffs, and the shift, were a distraction from the main goal of delaying the season. “Similar to the 2020 pandemic season, they (Manfred and the owners) drag things out because they have their ideal amount of games they hope we play during the season.”
Heyward said that all of the proposals made by the owners were done with the intent of saying they are negotiating but knowing the players would refuse because the deals would benefit the owners more than players in the long run.
Heyward said Manfred and the owner’s goal during the entire process was to delay.
“Hoping both sides could continue to disagree and they would get their end GOAL … Their GOAL of delaying the 2022 MLB season,” Heyward wrote.
He noted the owners know the number of games that need to be played in order to make a profit. Heyward said the owners view the first month of the season as debt. If the month of April gets canceled and the season is delayed, the owners could meet their profit goal.
Heyward said the players association had hoped to come to the table to discuss the game but ended up just discussing between themselves as the commissioner and owners seemingly want “division and they truly don’t care to play the scheduled 162. That’s the route they chose.”
It was interesting to see the supportive comments to Heyward from former teammates Tommy Pham, Miguel Montero, and Daniel Descalso, as well as the wife of former teammate, Dexter Fowler, Aliya.
The commissioner and owners have made the players association angry with their seeming unwillingness to discuss the collective bargaining agreement in good faith. Manfred and the owners must do better in future negotiations or risk further damage.
The fans and players are ready for baseball. It will be interesting to see if Heyward’s comments strike a nerve with the owners to return in better faith to the negotiating table.
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