Trevor Bauer, Kyle Lohse battle on Twitter amid MLB labor disagreement
By Mark Powell
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer and former MLB starter Kyle Lohse are fighting on Twitter.
Baseball has a long history of labor disputes, the most significant being the 1994 strike which cancelled the World Series.
While COVID-19 has presented the league with a tough situation, both the players and owners would prefer to avoid being placed in that same category. Greed could get in the way.
The players are unwilling to budge from their previous agreement of prorated salaries for the 2020 MLB season. This while owners want a redo, as the financial losses from a season cut in half, and without fans in the stands, won’t be great.
Kyle Lohse and Trevor Bauer are going at it on Twitter.
Most current players are against the owners proposition, but some former standouts would rather current MLBPA brass not ruin the relations past greats worked hard to rebuild after the distrust of ’94.
Kyle, your time as a player has come and gone. You’re no longer part of the player group negotiating. Everyone appreciates your time and your service, but you don’t speak on behalf of the players anymore. That time has come and gone for you. You’re not privy to everything that’s
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) May 28, 2020
Lohse did not take well to Bauer’s suggestion that he should no longer have a say in this argument, and fired back thusly.
Trevor, I’m just gonna chalk this one up to immaturity. While your generation is talking mlb business while playing video games and complaining publicly how the union is doing, us out of touch ex players aren’t happy standing by, watching you wreck what was built.
— Kyle Lohse (@KyleLohse26) May 28, 2020
The two apparently continued their conversation in private, as Lohse recommended, rather than giving fans even more of a sneak peak into the perceived disagreement within the ranks.
Both parties have a point, but from Lohse’s perspective as a 16-year veteran, not reaching an agreement this year could easily snowball into further disagreements leading up to the expiration of the CBA, which occurs in 2021.
As much as players want to make this a sticking point, it could come at a greater price than just a shortened 2020 season.