Max Scherzer shoots down MLB’s proposal for more salary reductions

Max Scherzer took to Twitter Wednesday night to voice his displeasure with MLB’s proposal, saying the players will not accept further salary reductions.

Negotiations between MLB and its players really aren’t going well.

On Wednesday night, Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer took to Twitter to voice his frustration with the ongoing negotiations, slamming MLB’s proposal and declaring that the players would not accept further salary reductions.

Scherzer, who is a member of the MLB Players Association’s player executive subcommittee, had this to say:

“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 accent 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.”

Max Scherzer is just saying what everyone is feeling right now.

Negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA have grown increasingly sour since all major sports were put on hold in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both sides agreed on prorated salaries for the 2020 season, but after the league proposed a 50-50 revenue split in May, tensions rose. They grew even worse this week when MLB’s proposed solution was a sliding pay scale that would include major salary cuts.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported not long after Scherzer’s tweet that the players union will send a proposal with economic terms to the league by the end of the week, and as the Nationals pitcher asserted, the players are not willing to make any further salary concessions.

Assuming it’s even safe to resume playing sports again in the near future, only time will tell if the owners and players can get on the same page in order to get baseball back in our lives.