Awaiting offer, players ‘just want a good deal’
TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge is ready for a resolution, but like all the MLB stars who gathered with union executives Thursday afternoon at a Tampa Bay area hotel, the Yankees slugger is waiting to see if the league’ latest proposal will be enough to move them toward an end to the owner-imposed lockout.
“A lot more guys showed up than I expected. That was great and just looking forward to getting this thing done,” Judge said after the gathering of about 50 players sat through a two-hour update from their negotiations team. “I think we’re all ready to go.”
The Astros’ Kyle Tucker was among the nearly 50 players who were at the meeting.
The players meeting, one of three held over the past two days in Arizona and Florida, came just hours after the owners concluded their own quarterly gathering. Commissioner Rob Manfred wrapped that up by painting an optimistic picture of the regular season starting on time. The owners agreed to put forward a response to the latest union proposal Saturday when the sides return to the table in New York.
Those comments were met with skepticism by the players.
“We’ll see it when it comes across. Obviously we have hopes that they send over something that is something that we can work with and a true start to the negotiations,” former Yankees reliever and union executive board member Andrew Miller said. “We haven’t seen that yet.”
Manfred said Thursday morning that missing games would be “disastrous for our industry,” and that he was optimistic that the sides had time to reach terms of a new collective bargaining agreement and have it ratified and players in camp in time to have at least four weeks of spring training and have Opening Day on March 31 as scheduled.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was “hopeful” that the season wouldn’t be delayed.
“At the end of the day, we just want a good deal,” Lindor said. “If that’s
what it comes down to, we don’t want to do it, we want to play the full season. But if that’s what it comes down to, we continue to come to the table and continue to bring good things.”
Giambi’s death is ruled a suicide
The death of former major leaguer Jeremy Giambi at 47 was a suicide, the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner said Friday.
The former MLB outfielder and younger brother of ex-Yankees slugger Jason Giambi died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at his parents’ home in the Los Angeles suburb of Claremont, the medical examiner said.
Giambi was found Wednesday by a family member who immediately called 911. He was already dead when first responders arrived.
Giambi, who was famously tagged out at the plate on Derek Jeter’s “Flip Play” during the 2001 ALDS, spent six seasons in the big leagues. He appeared in nine playoff games and batted .319 with three RBIs.
Most of his career came in Oakland, where he played with his older brother, but Jeremy also logged time with the Royals, Red Sox and Phillies. His last game was in 2003.
The lefthanded hitter’s best season came in 2002, when he hit 20 home runs and had a .414 onbase percentage while splitting time between the A’s and Phillies. His trade from Oakland to Philadelphia was portrayed in the 2011 film “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt.
“I hope this can be a wake-up call for people out there to not go at it alone and for families and friends to trust their intuition when they feel somebody needs help,” Giambi’s former teammate Barry Zito told the San Francisco Chronicle.
5 minor leaguers are suspended
Pitchers Joe Flores of Colorado, Lenny Polanco and Jesus Tovar of Minnesota and Alan Ramirez of Miami were suspended for 60 games after positive tests for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol under baseball’s minor league drug program.
Giants pitcher Austin Reich was suspended for 50 games after a positive test for amphetamine, a banned stimulant.