Jays' Randal Grichuk blasts MLB owners, commissioner for 'brutal' negotiations
Outfielder says 'all the owners are doing is wasting time to get what they want'
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk lashed out over social media to express his frustration with the ongoing negotiations between Major League Baseball owners and players.
Grichuk, 28, said the owners are "wasting time to get what they want" on Friday as part of a longer post on Twitter.
"Can [MLB commissioner Rob] Manfred just implement the 48 game season already since we all know that's all he's trying to do here," Grichuk wrote. "These negotiations are brutal. All the owners are doing is wasting time to get what they want. This [stinks]."
Grichuk's post came on the heels of MLB's latest offer to the players: a 72-game schedule. Owners also are willing to up their financial offer to players, paying them 83 per cent of their prorated salary when $50 million US in playoff bonuses are included, ESPN's Jeff Passan said.
On Tuesday, the MLB Players Association reportedly submitted an outline for an 89-game season in which the players would get their full prorated salaries. A day earlier, the owners reportedly proposed a 76-game season in which players would be paid 75 percent of their prorated salaries, and only 50 per cent if there wasn't a full postseason.
Baseball halted spring training on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and eventually pushed back opening day indefinitely. In the subsequent months, the owners and players have disagreed over both the format and the finances of a back-to-action plan.
