Yankees: Derek Jeter Calls Out MLB and MLBPA for ‘Embarrassing’ Talks

Miami Marlins part-owner and former Yankees captain Derek Jeter thinks the MLB and MLBPA damaged baseball with their talks.

Most Yankees fans are thrilled that the 2020 MLB season is finally off and running, attempting to resume play by the end of the month following seemingly endless and eternally contentious negotiations.

However, we forgive, but we don’t forget — the ongoing, droning discussion of cash percentages during a raging global pandemic will leave its indelible stamp on the game’s soul.

Derek Jeter wasn’t happy about the two sides’ incredibly un-timely disagreement, too, and laid into both of them on Marlins radio broadcaster Glenn Geffner’s “The Line Drive” this week.

Calling the discussion “embarrassing at times,” Jeter evaluated the roles of the owners and players’ association negatively impacting baseball moving forward.

“It was pretty sad to see the back and forth being played out publicly in a time like now,” Jeter told Geffner. “You have so many people filing for unemployment throughout the country. Over 30 million people, 40 million people with no jobs. They really don’t want to hear owners and players going back and forth about how much money they deserve and how much money they need.”

He also admitted that he understands that players deserve to fight for what they’ve earned, and as a former star, completely backs their right to do so. In this instance, though, the Yankees captain would’ve preferred an increase in privacy.

“But, in this particular case, I think some things should have been done behind the scenes. … There is no winner,” Jeter concluded.

Jeter doubtlessly understands the complexities involved in the current negotiations, and so did all of us. But he brings up the core point: did we really need to attempt a new CBA on the fly when all it really would’ve taken were some behind-the-scenes rumblings to parse the March accord?

If an insider like Jeter believes that would’ve been possible, then we’re inclined to agree with him.

The impact on the game this embarrassment causes won’t be known for years, however.