New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer said that Major League Baseball needs to talk about teams tanking in the new collective bargaining agreement and added that clubs are also finding new ways to manipulate service time.
Scherzer spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his concerns.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer celebrates after the Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
“This negotiation is about the integrity of the game from our eyes,” Scherzer said to the newspaper. “We feel as players that too many teams have gone into a season without any intent to win during the past. Even though that can be a strategy to win in future years, we’ve seen both small-market and large-market clubs embrace tanking, and that cannot be the optimal strategy for the owners.”
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 17: Max Scherzer #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers tosses the ball in the air in between pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of Game Two of the National League Championship Series at Truist Park on October 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Scherzer continued: “Teams are putting long-term discounted extensions in front of players before a player even makes his debut. They’re told take the extension and you will be in the big leagues tomorrow, but if you don’t sign it, you will stay in the minor leagues. Playing in the big leagues is everyone’s dream, and teams are now leveraging that desire to gain financial control over a player’s career.”
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Max Scherzer #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during the National League Wild Card Game at Dodger Stadium on October 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Since the old collective bargaining agreement expired, there haven’t been any more talks between the MLBPA and MLB.
Last year, Scherzer split time with the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. The ace finished with a 15-4 record, 2.46 ERA and 236 strikeouts. Scherzer will look to make his presence felt in New York as a member of the Mets.
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