Manfred fires back at players

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Rob Manfred will not suffer threats gladly.

With several players arriving in camp and offering militant words about the slow-moving free-agent market, baseball’s commissioner fired back Sunday, suggesting that players were not helping their cause.

“I do believe it is unfortunate,” Manfred said.

Veteran Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright recently told InsideSTL.com, “Unless something changes, there’s going to be a strike, 100 percent.” Many other high-profile players, including the Astros’ Justin Verlander and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, have publicly expressed their frustrations, if not as dramatically.

“It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how you conduct good labor relations to have people running around three years before an agreement expires, and before there has been one word of negotiation, arguing that there’s going to be a strike,” Manfred said. “I actually have a degree in labor relations. We never learned that tactic. It really is not productive in terms of our business. ... And I know it’s not going to change the outcome of the negotiation, ultimately.”

Manfred added, “There is no personal acrimony between me and Tony Clark,” although that didn’t stop him from tweaking Clark, the head of the players’ union, for filing a grievance last year against the A’s, Rays, Pirates and Marlins that alleged the four clubs did not properly reinvest their revenue-sharing money back into player payroll.