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Max Scherzer is not a man to mince words. He’ll tell you what he thinks, whether or not it makes him popular.
During the recent kerfuffle between the MLB and the MLBPA, Scherzer made it very clear that he and his fellow players were deeply uninterested in the idea of taking further pay cuts.
“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there’s no reason to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions. We have previously negotiated a pay cut in the version of prorated salaries, and there’s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received. I’m glad to hear other players voicing the same viewpoint and believe MLB’s economic strategy would completely change if all documentation were to become public information.”
Mark Zuckerman dives deeper into the dispute and the strategy behind Scherzer’s statements in a great piece, but Rob Friedman (aka Pitching Ninja) summed it up in about four words.
Owners vs. Max pic.twitter.com/Om4BXfsTfK
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2020
- The oral history of Charlie Blackmon being scouted is as entertaining as you might imagine, compiled by Jonathan Mayo.
- Andre Fernandez put together a pretty awesome list of baseball Twitter accounts you should be following. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Uh-oh, Paul Lukas shares that the Nationals might have wanted to hire a proof-reader before they finalized their ring details.
- Did the Home Run Derby pave the way for sports-themed reality TV? Dan Barbarisi looks at the legacy. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- For a long time, folks have wondered about the plausibility of a minor league players union, and Sheryl Ring looks at whether or not it could be done.
- Scott Miller dives into the troubled downfall of Esteban Loaiza.
- As we’ve been able to watch more and more baseball out of Korea, Daniel Kaplan takes a look at how similar and different things might be when US baseball returns. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Rachael McDaniel takes another sensational dive into baseball history over at FanGraphs, and these stories are always worth reading.
- A New Jersey brewery is taking aim at the Astros scandal with their most recent beer release, reports Michael Shapiro.
- If you need more detail on the latest offer the MLB has made to the MLBPA, Craig Edwards has a great explanation at FanGraphs.
- As part of Baseball Prospectus’s ongoing efforts to spotlight the minor league teams in danger of getting the axe, Sarah R. Ingber, Davy Andrews, Charlie Woo, and Roger Cormier look at the Elizabethton Twins.
- Stuffed animal fans is my new favorite thing.
Packed house in Daejon tonight! #HanwhaEagles pic.twitter.com/0eLkZqMT1R
— Daniel Kim 대니얼 김 (@DanielKimW) May 27, 2020
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.