Alex Rodríguez, who signed two of the richest deals in the history of Major League Baseball and earned approximately $ 450 million in salary as a player, suggested that players accept a salary cap in future labor negotiations.
Of course, the 14-time All-Star has reasons for the makeover. Rodríguez, along with partner and entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez, are leading a property offering for the New York Mets, according to multiple reports. He also cited the growth of the NFL and NBA in the past two decades and how those leagues have income divisions between property and players along with a limit.
“The only way it’s going to happen is if they get to the table and say goal number 1, we’re going to go from $ 10 to $ 15 billion and then we’ll divide the economy equally,” Rodriguez told reporters on Thursday. during a conference call. . “But that’s the kind of conversation instead of fighting and fighting each other because there is too much competition right now.”
“Today the NBA has become an international conglomerate, the NFL is a giant. Back then there was no Netflix, there was no Snapchat, there was no Disney +, ESPN + and everything else they were doing to get their attention. So today we have to really work collaboratively, with the players and the owners, to say how we compete together to become No. 1. ”
After the call, Rodríguez was sure to note that he did not explicitly say the words “salary cap,” although the model he proposed is essentially one.
MLB players union chief Tony Clark quickly chastised Rodriguez’s comments Thursday.
“Alex benefited as much as any of the battles this union fought against the owners’ repeated attempts to get a salary cap,” it said in a statement. Now that you are trying to become an owner, your perspective seems to be different. And that perspective does not reflect the best interests of the players. “
Still signed up as a color commentator for Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN for this season, the network has decided to kick him out of the Mets-Atlanta Braves game on July 26, by call. It is the only game on Sunday night that the Mets are scheduled to play.
Contributing: Associated Press
