Blake Snell destroys fans argument that MLB players should return in 2020

With talk of revenue split or prorated salaries in a shortened 2020 MLB season, Blake Snell is not on board.

As MLB and the MLBPA try to work out the parameters of a shortened baseball season this year, a 50-50 revenue split is a prominent piece of the reported proposal that’s going to come from the owners. Some players have already come out in criticism of it, and Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell is now prominently among them.

As ideas on where games will be played are also considered, players will take on some level of risk due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be a very personal decision for some, with the prospect of being away from their families a factor.

Via a Twitch stream on Wednesday, Snell had a lot to say on the matter.

“‘Play for the love of the game, man, what’s wrong with you, bro? Money should not be a thing,'” Snell said in a tone mocking fans who derided players refusing to return during a pandemic but do so with reduced salaries. “Bro, I’m risking my life. What do you mean [money] should not be a thing?”

“If I’m going to play, I should be getting money I signed to be getting paid,” Snell continued. “I should not be getting half of what of I’m getting paid because the season is cut in half on top of a 33% cut of the half that’s already there. So, I’m really getting, like, 25%. On top of that, it’s getting taxed. So, imagine how much I’m actually making to play. … And now I play risking my life.

Snell is no stranger to being unfairly compensated. After winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2018, the Rays rewarded their ace with a meager $15,500 raise before eventually offering him a five-year, $50 million extension. For those who are making far less than him, the idea of a pay reduction is even more unappealing.