All-Stars Mike Trout and Bryce Harper joined the player-led chorus asking Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to let them know “when and where” to be in order to start the 2020 season.
The message originated with MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Saturday as part of the union asking Manfred to end negotiations and simply set a back-to-work date.
“… It unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile. It’s time to get back to work. Tell us when and where,” Clark said in a statement.
Trout retweeted the full statement from Clark with the words “Tell us when and where!!”
Tell us when and where!! https://t.co/zPMbehld1n
— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) June 16, 2020
Not long after, Harper took to Twitter with the same message.
Tell us when and where. https://t.co/hy157hOYkl
— Bryce Harper (@bryceharper3) June 16, 2020
Major League Baseball has authority to set the return date and season length as part of an agreement with players in March.
The two sides have negotiated toward other details — including length of the season, location of a short spring training-type of upramp and salary structure with players on prorated pay schedules — but could not agree on much.
Manfred said late last week he was “100 percent” confident the season would be played in some form or fashion, but walked those comments back days later.
–Field Level Media