The MLB has entered a lockout, the first of its kind in 26 years. Commissioner Rob Manfred took shots at the Player's Association in a letter to the fans earlier Thursday morning. He later spoke point-blank about the lockout, offering an eight-word truth bomb on what it means for baseball.
Manfred on lockout: “It’s not a good thing for the sport. It’s not something that we undertake lightly. We understand it’s bad for our business. We took it out of a desire to drive the process forward to an agreement now.” Said MLB didn’t sense urgency, wanted to apply pressure.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) December 2, 2021
Manfred may not have approached this situation in the best way possible, but he is right about one thing. The lockout is very bad for the MLB. Neither the owners, who make millions of dollars and want more in revenue, or the players, who make millions of dollars and want more in salary, are going to come out of this lockout looking good.
To make matters worse for Manfred, the MLB seems to be falling behind its counterparts, at least in terms of fan interest. Add that waning interest to a work stoppage and it's a potential recipe for disaster for the MLB.
Thinking about this MLB lockout in those terms, it makes sense why Manfred and the MLB would push for a lockout this early. It applies some pressure to the Player's Association and players, who want nothing more than to take the field come April.
However, if the players don't budge and there are no signs of an agreement, then Rob Manfred and the MLB will be in for some bad business for quite some time.
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