Phillies’ Mickey Moniak, Giants’ Alex Wood react to latest MLB lockout drama
Major League Baseball and the Players’ Union have met every day this week, but if you thought that meant the lockout would be over soon, you’d be mistaken.
In fact, it seems to be getting worse. A week that began with so much optimism has devolved into the very real possibility of missed games.
How bad is it? The latest update is just this:
It’s not good
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) February 24, 2022
On Thursday, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Mickey Moniak shared a post to his story containing this tweet by San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood, one of the most vocal players on social media throughout this ordeal.
Mickey Moniak’s IG story pic.twitter.com/PgFodxEaBe
— PHILLIES TBOH (@FS_TBOH) February 24, 2022
It’s been a busy month online for Wood, who pointed out how much money MLB gets from their lucrative tv deals alone. He then slammed MLB for using federal mediation as a ploy earlier this month and discussed the luxury tax, a topic the negotiations have reportedly barely covered.
So what you’re saying is…every MLB team before they sell a single ticket/drink/food/merch/parking/advertisement etc is pocketing over $100 million minimum at the start of every single season from here until the next tv deals update and they make even more? https://t.co/O5gMflnEZf
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 1, 2022
How can MLB request for there to be a mediator from the Federal Government to help with negotiations when they literally haven’t even done any negotiating up to this point? Asking for a friend.
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022
It would probably take 2 weeks just for an “impartial” mediator to get caught up enough to proceed. They’d then use an already broken system/CBA as guideline toward a new deal. Makes zero sense for anybody. Players are ready to make a fair/mutually beneficial deal! #AtTheTable
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022
To be clear. Manfred/MLB want stricter penalties under the CollectiveBargainingTax(CBT). All the CBT does is suppress spending & encourage TANKING. Aren’t fans tired of this? Don’t you want to see ALL teams actually trying to win each year? CBT should be abolished not enhanced.
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 10, 2022
If penalties increase under the CBT/Luxury tax IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE THRESHOLD IS MY GOD. Make the threshold a billion dollars it doesn’t matter. Teams already don’t spend bc they use the current penalties as an excuse not to. Imagine if the penalties got worse. SMH.
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 12, 2022
Moniak was the first overall pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft. He made his debut in September 2020 and has played 29 games over the last two seasons, but has yet to stick at the big-league level. However, as a member of the 40-man roster, he is barred from Spring Training activities at the team facilities until the lockout is lifted.
While Moniak and the other Phillies big-leaguers and minor-leaguers have stayed relatively quiet through the fraught negotiations, a few have spoken out. Ahead of the lockout, Bryce Harper predicted that the situation would get crazy and then subtly reacted when it did. Rhys Hoskins and Didi Gregorius have been the most vocal.
Will the 2022 MLB season be delayed or shortened?
MLB set a hard deadline of February 28, and if the two sides cannot come to an agreement by then, the regular season will be delayed. Worse yet, any games missed will not be made up.