Ousted Mariners executive Kevin Mather admitted to unethical use of MLB’s service time rules to suppress his players’ earnings, which didn’t sit well with many in the league, including Yankee slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
“It gives the perspective of what some people in the front office think of us,” Stanton said. “There are organizations that look (at) us as a number, or a line on a piece of paper.”
“Now, it is a business,” Stanton acknowledged. “But you know, you gotta throw in some respect while you’re handling business.”
In the slugger’s opinion, the issue isn’t everywhere, but it’s more than just a Mariners problem. “I think a good amount (of front offices) that think that way,” said Stanton, who claimed players have long been aware of the proliferation of service time shenanigans, which involves keeping a player in the minors to delay their free agency even when their play merits a call-up.
“As much as it’s unfortunate to hear, it’s nothing players didn’t know,” Stanton said. “I guess it’s good that fans and more people are aware of it.”
The tougher part is changing the system that ensures each player gets treated like people in the business of baseball value. “If that’s what it is,” Stanton said of the system he plays in, “How can you really show (your beliefs) in a different way without being fake?”
