SNELL’S POINT
Rays pitcher isn’t wrong to want money he’s owed to put health at risk
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell doesn’t have to be a wordsmith of the highest order for his points to make sense.
During a Twitch stream earlier in the week, Snell answered questions about the return to playing Major League Baseball in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
To sum up Snell’s response, he essentially said: Not at the price that’s being offered.
“Bro, y’all gotta understand too,” Snell said. “Because y’all are gonna be like ‘Bro, play for the love of the game man! What’s wrong with you bro? Money should not be a thing.’ Bro, I’m risking my life.”
That’s the core issue that’s getting lost with fans that are clamoring for baseball to return.
These players are their lives.
As Stephen A. Smith showed on ESPN’s “First Take” on Friday, the easiest stance in the world is to outright dismiss athletes who voice their concerns.
“YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!” Smith bellowed on ESPN airwaves. “You signed a $50 million dollar contract! You can’t tell people at a time when 33 million people plus are on unemployment … SHUT UP!”
Getting caught up on the dollar amounts is the wrong angle to take.
Not only are they risking their lives, but they’re risking the lives of their teammates, people who work at the stadium, their family and anyone they could come in contact with.
And Snell’s point wasn’t one where he was one hundred percent against the return of Major League Baseball in a reduced sense. It was simply about being paid the money he was agreed to be paid.
“I’m going to play, I should be getting money I signed to be getting paid,” Snell explained. “I should not be getting paid half risking of what I’m getting paid, because the season’s cut in half, on top of a 33% cut on the half that’s already there, so I’m really getting 25%. On top of that, it’s getting taxed. So imagine how much I’m actually making to play, you know what I’m saying?”
Snell’s math leaves room for improvement, but the overall point doesn’t take a great deal of critical thinking to comprehend. As an individual, Snell’s lifestyle likely won’t change much with the reduced rate of his pay. According to Spotrac, Snell was slated to make $7 million for the 2020 season in base salary and he signed a 5-year, $50 million extension in 2019. Even with a paycut, he’s going to be making a nice chunk of change for himself this season.
Snell is really speaking for the players who make far less than he does; and it’s important to remember, the owners are proposing an additional pay cut to the 50% that’s already been taken due to half of the season not taking place.
For example, Snell’s own team has 13 players making less than $600,000 this year. When those salaries get heavily reduced, those players face a tough question:
Is this job, at this pay rate, in this climate worth the risk?
In his own words, Snell detailed a perfectly reasonable response.
“All that money’s gone and now I’m risking my life,” Snell said. “If I get the [coronavirus] on top of that, if I get the rona, guess what happens with that? Oh yeah, that stays in my body forever. The damage that was done to my body, that’s going to be there forever. So now, I gotta play with that on top of that. Y’all gotta understand, man. For me to take a paycut is not happening because the risk is through the roof, it’s a shorter season, less pay … I gotta get my money. I’m not playing unless I get mine.”
Does that sound selfish? Yes. It is selfish. It’s an instance where it’s OK for Snell, and anyone who feels they are being rushed back to work prematurely, to be selfish.
Is it likely for the 27-year-old Snell to suffer from permanent lung or kidney damage if he does in fact catch coronavirus? Probably not.
But there is a chance. A chance for a career to be ruined.
Snell is in a unique position where he has the financial security to state his concerns, but he is certainly far from the only player who feels this way. Snell may not realize it, but he gave power to the powerless population of Major League Baseball rosters.
Snell is an imperfect messenger, but he’s not an uncommon one. Snell is on record in early March saying, “If I get it, I get it,” in regards to coronavirus. Snell, like most of the country, learned more about the virus and adjusted his stance. There’s no great crime in that.
No player should be shamed for wanting their collectively bargained money. They are human with human desires, needs and fears. That’s where part of the disconnect between fans and players halts a great deal of progress in recognizing the importance of player empowerment. These aren’t like video game characters who simply disappear at the end of the ninth inning.
They have families, they have people they care about. Their fears are just as valid. Compassion and understanding during a pandemic doesn’t cost a dime.