The Lockout Diaries: Week 14

This not getting done because of the implementation of an International Draft is absolutely absurd.  It's good for American players but a problem for international players?  Not to mention it would be good for the game.  They should be packing their bags for spring training.

It's hard for me to think that either side truly believes the international draft issue is worth losing games over.  I think the two sides have simply lost all perspective.  One side thinks, "We don't really care about this, but we know they don't want it so we're going to demand it", and the other side thinks, "We don't really care about this, but we know they want it so we're going to reject it."

Such a sad state of affairs!  Players and owners bickering over money that most sane people drool over.  I've been a longtime twins and MLB fan but am very disgusted about the direction of these negotiations and baseball in general.  I never thought I would say this but I'm getting to the point that I don't care if they come back.  Now granted at some point they will agree and baseball will return.  But at what cost?  Will the greedy owners and players only be concerned about lining their pockets and not care about the state of the game itself?  Or will the real cost be alienating an already fragile and declining fan base.  It appears they don't really don't care about the game or it's fans.

As much as I love the game of baseball ,

I'm not going to let the idiots RUIN my life ...

If or when it gets done ,,, WE PLAY BASEBALL 

Hopefully, we will end up with a 154 game season.  That's probably how long the season should be as it would enable opening day to be around April 10.  Makes a heck of a lot of sense for all the northern teams.

If it is true that there is a lot of fraud related to the current International process, a draft makes a ton of sense.  Imagine, like the DH, it will take until the next CBA to get solved. 

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

This not getting done because of the implementation of an International Draft is absolutely absurd.  It's good for American players but a problem for international players?  Not to mention it would be good for the game.  They should be packing their bags for spring training.

I had MLB on last night, and Harrold Reynolds was blathering on about the International Draft and I was thinking the same thing.  He was decrying how it was a travesty for all these "poor international players" to be the subject of an "unfair" draft. 

 The only thought that came to mind was exactly that, "So... it's ok or even good for American and Puerto Rican players to be subject to its whims, but foreign players and their handlers can do whatever they want??".

Baseball negotiations have fallen victim to the national malady; logic and rational thought have fallen by the wayside and taking one for the Gipper has been replaced with one-up-manship.  There is no "I" in team and there currently is no "we" in baseball.

Isn't it amazing that both teams of negotiators, all highly paid, struggle so mightily to be rational. The quibbling is crazy. Jeff A (comment above) may have the most correct say on the matter. Are they having too much fun being in the news to complete a deal? The owners win, always. The players have received what they mostly wanted. If they don't want a draft, kick the can down the road and call it a three year deal. Another couple of weeks and now there are actually serious problems, which will be much more difficult than any of the issues currently discussed. Finish it.

31 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Any lingering sympathy towards the MLBPA surely has to be gone, no?

no

Just posted to MLBTR (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/)