Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jameson Taillon has publicly criticized Major League Baseball over a video it released discussing proposed changes to the next collective bargaining agreement, accusing the league of shaping a misleading narrative ahead of a possible lockout.
The video, posted to MLB’s social media accounts, featured executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword outlining three major changes the league wants to make. MLB described the proposed changes as “a win for everybody.”
Taillon, a 10-year major league veteran, disagreed sharply in a post on X.
“This is comically bad. They’re being very careful and selective of what they’re saying/showing and how they’re delivering it,” Taillon wrote.
“This is going to be ugly if they’re trying to sway fan/public support weeks before they even lock us out. At the end of the day- they want to drive down salaries and put more money in the pockets of billionaires.”
“Nobody wins except them. Simple as that. It’s not about competition. It’s never been about competition for them, it just is a nice cover up.”
Taillon is not alone in his criticism. The MLB Players Association and several player agents have also pushed back on the league’s proposed changes. Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, who represents Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, spoke out specifically against MLB’s push for a salary cap.
“Over our dead bodies are we going to accept a cap and further restraints on salaries,” Wolfe said.
Baseball currently has no salary cap or floor, setting it apart from the NFL and NBA. MLB has pointed to competitive balance concerns in arguing for spending restrictions, but that argument was complicated this year by the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, who had the 19th-highest payroll in the league.
High spending has also failed to guarantee postseason success elsewhere. Both the Blue Jays and the New York Mets spent heavily in the offseason but missed the playoffs in October.
The dispute comes as the league and the players’ union head toward negotiations over a new CBA, with the possibility of a lockout looming in the weeks ahead.
