Former major league pitcher Scott Diamond understands the fans' frustration, as a baseball-less spring is now threatening to go deep into summer.

"The players will always be cast as the enemy here," he said, "but I know from my time playing, it's not always as easy as it sounds."

 

What You Need To Know


  • Scott Diamond pitched in 4 MLB seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays

  • The 33-year old left-hander is the only Binghamton University alum ever to play in the major leagues

  • Diamond says there is more to the MLB negotiations than just having the players take a pay cut

  • The former Korean Baseball Organization pitcher says the MLB should take a page from the KBO in restarting the 2020 season

 

Major League Baseball's latest proposal to the players' association calls for an 82-game season with significant salary cuts, especially for the league's highest-paid players. Under the plan, a superstar like the Angels' Mike Trout would see his salary drop from more than $37 million to around $8 million, which is roughly 22% of the original amount, while players making the league minimum of $563,500 would receive $262,000, or roughly 46%. That dramatic disparity is why many players are balking.

"I'm not surprised," said Diamond, who never made more than $530,000 in a season. "Those guys are not only superstars of their sports, but they've also been able to achieve something at such a high level, that's why they're being compensated at such a high level."

The former Twins and Blue Jays pitcher also emphasizes there is more to the dispute than meets the eye. He says the players are also concerned with setting a precedent for taking voluntary pay cuts that could come back to haunt them. It could also negatively impact the guys playing in the minor leagues below them.

"There's a lot at stake here, so it's not as simple as just taking a pay cut," he said. "There are going to be a lot of repercussions that could come out of this down the road, and I think that's why the players are little hesitant to take these steps."

Well-known player agent Scott Boras is suggesting players reject the new proposal and ask owners to go back to the March agreement, which would pay the players roughly half their salaries for roughly half a season. ESPN is reporting the MLBPA is expected to issue a counter-proposal by the end of the week, a plan that would call for more than 100 games but with fully-prorated salaries.

 

 

Diamond, the only Binghamton University alum to play in the major leagues, has a different idea for ending the stalemate. He says the MLB should take its cues from the KBO, the Korean Baseball Organization, where the 33-year old lefty finished his pro career in 2017. Over in Korea, they've been playing live games, without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions, since May 5.

"I think what the KBO has been able to do, I think it's given a lot of optimism to every other sports league," he said. "There are some rules, like spitting and no 'high-fives', that are going to be hard to maintain, but I think the KBO has done a great job of prioritizing getting back on the field and making sure that everybody's staying safe."

And if Korea can do it, why can't America?

"All the players obviously want to get on the field, and the owners want to play ball, too," he said. "Hopefully, they can come to work out something and not just continue to fight."