MLB's Rob Manfred 'Not Confident' About Possibility of 2020 Season

[Auggie]

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN on Monday that he's "not confident" there will be a baseball season this year, adding that "as long as there's no dialogue" with the MLB Players Association there is a "real risk" of no 2020 season.

Manfred's comments Monday to ESPN's Mike Greenberg, are distinctly different from the comments he made to ESPN's Karl Ravech last Wednesday ahead of the 2020 MLB draft. Manfred told Ravech last week that, "unequivocally we are going to play Major League Baseball this year."

However, when asked Monday about his confidence level, Manfred said, "I'm not confident. I think there's real risk; and as long as there's no dialogue, that real risk is gonna continue."

MLBPA executive Tony Clark called Manfred's comments "another bad faith tactic in [MLB's] ongoing campaign."

https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/06/15/rob-manfred-not-confident-mlb-season-2020-coronavirus

Clark's statement:

"Players are disgusted that after Rob Manfred unequivocally told Players and fans that there would '100%' be a 2020 season, he has decided to go back on his word and is now threatening to cancel the entire season. Any implication that the Players Association has somehow delayed progress on health and safety protocols is completely false, as Rob has recently acknowledged the parties are 'very, very close.' This latest threat is just one more indication that Major League Baseball has been negotiating in bad faith since the beginning. This has always been about extracting additional pay cuts from Players and this is just another day and another bad faith tactic in their ongoing campaign." https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-rob-manfred-walked-back-his-2020-mlb-season-guarantee-and-whats-next-in-baseballs-labor-war/

Maybe owners view Manfred's actions as bungled and kick his ass out of baseball. Lose your employees and you lose everything.