Cubs' Kris Bryant ‘ashamed' over MLB-MLBPA return-to-play negotiations

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Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant expressed disappointment in the negotiations between Major League Baseball and the players union to resume play during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bryant began the shutdown as the Cubs’ MLBPA rep before passing the title on to Ian Happ following the birth of his son. The 28-year-old was critical of proposals on both sides frequently being leaked to the media, echoing comments teammate Anthony Rizzo made last week.

“I was really ashamed of how things kind of went down in leaking in the media and negotiating in the media,” Bryant told reporters in Monday's Zoom session. “That never works for big corporations like this. It just doesn’t work.”

Bryant said the union believed there was an opportunity to play more than 60 games — they proposed 114, 89 and 70 at different points in the negotiation process — while MLB’s initial offer of 82 was as high as they went.

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MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after the 2021 season, and some have speculated the recent negotiations are only the beginning of a bigger labor battle. Bryant noted the league needs to focus on getting through the 2020 season safely and keeping players and staff healthy, worrying about future negotiations later.

“And hopefully the next time around, we may be a little more mature about this whole process and keep it closed doors, maybe,” he said.

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