After meeting for over 16 hours on Monday, reports of MLB’s negotiations with the players association began to take a turn for the optimistic after a week of mostly fruitless talks. But as Tuesday’s meetings continued, multiple outlets reported that talks had turned sour, with league officials saying the players had struck a “different note” after Monday night’s discussions had hinted toward a path to a deal.
At least one prominent player has taken issue with that characterization.
Giants pitcher Alex Wood expressed his frustration on Twitter with the framing that the players have stood in the way of a new deal, saying that MLB ownership had “pumped the media” with that narrative to sway public opinion. Wood asserted that the players have had the “same tone” throughout negotiations and simply want a new deal so they can resume playing.
Wood, who’s entering his 10th big-league season, went 10–4 with a 3.83 ERA in 26 starts for San Francisco last season, and was an All-Star in 2017.
