00:00John, you and I reported some major news this morning, Monday morning.
00:04Last Monday is part of his tour where he talks to every team over the course of the season.
00:10Rob Manfred was at Citizens Bank Ballpark.
00:12He was in the Philly clubhouse.
00:14And while he was giving his presentation, Bryce Harper, the biggest star on the Phillies,
00:20got up and in not very nice terms told him,
00:23if you're going to talk about the salary cap, get out of here.
00:27Yeah, I mean, certainly it's an interesting story.
00:30I think, you know, this is going to be the issue.
00:32This is it.
00:33Salary cap is it a couple years from now.
00:36And hopefully they work it out.
00:37Rob Manfred, they've always worked it out for three decades.
00:40They've figured it out.
00:42But, you know, if this is any indication we're off to a little bit of a rough start here,
00:46not saying that this is the reason or whatever,
00:49I think behind the scenes this is going on.
00:51And certainly the players seem very much against, at least the star players,
00:55the older players seem very much against the idea of a salary cap.
00:59The union has fought against the salary cap for decades.
01:02They've been able to hold it off.
01:04And this is the big issue.
01:05I mean, you know, MLB can call it whatever they want.
01:08That's what it is.
01:09You know, they can say we're looking for a partnership or whatever.
01:12This is the issue.
01:13Are they going to get a salary cap for the teams?
01:16The other sports do have it.
01:18Baseball players have fended it off.
01:21And it has helped the players.
01:23I mean, look, Juan Soto's contract will pay him more than Tom Brady and LeBron James combined.
01:29So the players know this.
01:31And at least the older star players are very much against the cap.
01:36And it's going to be a battle.
01:38And I've always figured that MLB would figure it out.
01:41And they have since 95.
01:42We were around in 95.
01:43They've done it since 95, not in 95.
01:47This one looks rough.
01:48Yeah, there's no doubt.
01:49Look, why don't we frame the issue?
01:50The collective bargaining agreement runs out on December 1st, 2026.
01:54So after next season, we're expecting a lockout for sure as they negotiate.
01:59That's not.
01:59The question is, how many owners are so hard line that they will never get to yes unless there's a salary cap?
02:05And how many games is the union, which has the ghost of Marvin Miller, never accept this salary cap hovering over?
02:12Do we have to lose half a season, a full season, more than that?
02:15But, John, that's clearly what this is about.
02:17Players have screamed at management people an actual collective bargaining agreement.
02:21We've heard those stories over the time where they're actually bargaining.
02:25This is a little different.
02:26This is the feeling that the commissioner is going out there trying to do propaganda and sugarcoat a little bit.
02:34A salary cap is something else.
02:35Partnership, you use the term.
02:36And he really does feel like this is the way you sell the game.
02:40But clearly, there are going to be some older hard line players who are very against us.
02:45How much do we lose as the two sides fight on it?
02:49Yeah, I mean.
02:50That's the issue to me.
02:50Yeah, I mean, they've worked out in the past.
02:53So maybe I'm being Pollyanna.
02:54I figure they're going to figure it out.
02:56It does seem a little bit rougher right now.
02:58And generally, not just because of this confrontation between a huge, huge megastar, Bryce Harper, and the commissioner, Rob Manfred.
03:05But let's not forget that while the body of all the players together did vote to approve the last agreement, right, the last CBA, the leadership was not in favor of it, right?
03:21So we can't take the opinion of a few star players or veteran players as gospel.
03:26Ultimately, they have to convince the vast majority of the players.
03:32And certainly, they can convince younger players in different ways.
03:35They raise the minimum wage.
03:38They raise certain things that help them.
03:40And it's not all going to be determined by the star players.
03:44But they certainly have a big voice in it.
03:46And Bryce Harper is making his voice heard here, obviously.
03:49Even though he did it behind the scenes, I mean, we knew of all.
03:52I mean, he had to know that this was going to come out.
03:55We've been hearing about it for a week now.
03:57Yeah, something loud came in during the trade deadline.
04:00Bryce Harper and Rob Manfred went at it a little last week.
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