Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper has by no means been shy about sharing his opinions concerning the course of Main League Baseball.
These opinions and points with MLB management got here to a head when commissioner Rob Manfred entered the Phillies locker room in July to debate a wage cap. Harper reportedly turned annoyed throughout the dialog, ultimately getting in Manfred’s face and telling him to “get the (expletive) out of the locker room.” Manfred refused, saying it was essential to debate the threats to the sport.
The assembly ultimately continued, with Harper and Manfred even shaking arms afterward. Whereas that seemed to be the top of the argument, that was not the case. Agent Allan Walsh reported throughout an episode of the “Agent Provocateur” that one in every of Manfred’s “deputies” threatened Harper, saying “Do not ever disrespect him (Manfred) like that once more. That is how folks find yourself in a ditch.”
Alleged risk to Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper foreshadows ugliness of impending lockout
That information comes as the present Collective Bargaining Settlement will expire on Dec. 1, 2026. Possession is pushing for a wage cap, pointing to the Dodgers seemingly infinite monetary sources as unhealthy for the way forward for the sport. The gamers union, in the meantime, is adamantly towards such a cap.
The final sustained push towards a wage cap got here in 1994. The union’s refusal to entertain such an thought led to the disastrous strike that canceled the 1994 World Sequence and impacted the start of the 1995 season. Nonetheless, that labor stoppage might look like a quick interruption in comparison with what may occur in 2027, with the opportunity of your entire season being misplaced a definite risk.
The alleged risk to Harper may foreshadow the tone of negotiations. Relationships between the union and possession, and Manfred specifically, are frosty at finest. If this risk is true, the following labor stoppage may get ugly quick.
