Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas is known for his defensive prowess and leadership on the field and in the clubhouse.
On Monday night, he went on the offensive, referencing a hit Netflix show to call out Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Twitter for using what MLB players are calling a stall tactic to get players to agree to the league's demands for a shortened 2020 season.
"If I hadn't seen Money Heist before I would say this is the first time I'm seeing something like this," Rojas, the Marlins' player rep, wrote. "But like 'El Profesor' would say, This is just a tactic to do What ? ... ... . To buy some more time."
Manfred, in a taped interview that aired Monday as part of ESPN's two-hour "The Return of Sports" special, said he is "not confident" that there will be a baseball season in 2020. This comes just five days after he publicly guaranteed a season.
The league and the MLB Players Association have been at an impasse since official offers started going on the table last month. The players want to play as many games as possible for full prorated salaries, which they agreed to in a March 26 deal with the league.
League owners wants to limit the number of games and keep the postseason in October because of network contracts and a fear of a second wave of the coronavirus (and the desire to keep their revenue losses to a minimum). The league also contends that the March agreement calls for re-negotiation of salaries if games are to be played without fans.
In addition to economic agreements _ including player salaries and length of season, the latter of which is guaranteed to get shorter with each passing day _ the two sides still need to finalize specifics on health and safety protocols as they continue to navigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which initially put the sport on hold March 12.
Manfred said owners remain committed to playing a season but "unfortunately, I can't tell you that I'm a hundred% certain that's gonna happen."
MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Monday responded to Manfred's comments with the following statement:
"Players are disgusted that after Rob Manfred unequivocally told Players and fans that there would '100%' be a 2020 season, he has decided to go back on his word and is now threatening to cancel the entire season. Any implication that the Players Association has somehow delayed progress on health and safety protocols is completely false, as Rob has recently acknowledged the parties are 'very, very close.' This latest threat is just one more indication that Major League Baseball has been negotiating in bad faith since the beginning. This has always been about extracting additional pay cuts from Players and this is just another day and another bad faith tactic in their ongoing campaign."
