Little progress has been reported out of Jupiter, Fla., the past few days as MLB and its Players Association try to resolve a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Last week, the league imposed a Monday negotiation deadline to prevent the cancellation of regular-season games.
Longtime ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney joined 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” Monday to share his thoughts on the latest lockout news. When it comes to the prospect of canceling the first month of games, Olney thinks the owners might not be bluffing. You can listen to the full interview below:
“The owners make a huge portion of their money in the postseason,” Olney told hosts Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “On the other hand, the games in April and May – when students are in school, when it’s not as warm in a lot of places – games in April and May are more disposable.”
It’s unfortunate that any owner would view a regular-season game as disposable as baseball seems to be losing its appeal and the product is becoming less entertaining. Olney doesn’t understand the logic from the owners, either.
"It feels like this whole situation has been created by a bunch of dumb, smart guys,” Olney said.
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Olney cited A’s owner John Fisher and his decision to reduce minor league stipends during the pandemic in 2020 – before reversing due to public backlash – as an example of ownership’s inability to separate the bottom line from bigger issues like livable wages for their employees.
“You talk about the Oakland Athletics’ owners decision to initially cut the minor leaguer’s salaries from 400 to 300 dollars a week,” Olney said. “You feel like, what are you thinking? What is going on here? The game itself? Front offices have created this product where we’re seeing eight relievers that no one knows the name of, opposed to the Madison Bumgarners – the guys who create memories, the Hulk Hogans of the sport. It’s mind-boggling where we’ve gotten to.”
Olney also cited an anonymous baseball player who shared an unfiltered take on the league.
“He said, ‘I hate Major League Baseball,’” Olney said. “This is someone who has a reputation of being this gregarious person, upstanding citizen within the sport. The fact that someone like that guy has been moved to that point, is really awful.”
