Rays' Snell blasts proposed pay cuts: 'I'm risking my life'

Major League Baseball owners came together on a proposal for the parameters of a 2020 season Monday. However, before it has even been submitted to players for approval, some are already ridiculing the suggestion that they take a pay cut via revenue sharing.

"No, I'm not splitting no revenue," Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell told fans during a Twitch stream Wednesday.

"'Play for the love of the game, man,'" Snell said, mimicking fans' response to players who refuse to play during the pandemic. "'What's wrong with you, bro? Money should not be a thing.' Bro, I'm risking my life. What do you mean it should not be a thing?"

With the likelihood of fan attendance continually shrinking, the league reportedly prefers a 50-50 revenue-sharing scheme over the prorated salaries based on games played already guaranteed to the players in a March agreement. While the league has not yet officially submitted a revenue-sharing plan to the union, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said the players would not accept such a proposal on the basis of its resemblance to a salary cap.

"If I'm going to play, I should be getting money I signed to be getting paid," Snell continued. "I should not be getting half of what of I'm getting paid because the season is cut in half on top of a 33% cut of the half that's already there. So, I'm really getting, like, 25%. On top of that, it's getting taxed. So, imagine how much I'm actually making to play. ... And now I play risking my life."

The 2018 American League Cy Young winner didn't seem optimistic about the league and union striking an agreement and a 2020 season getting played, either.

"In my head, I'm preparing for next season. ... I love baseball to death, (but) it's just not worth it."

Prior to the 2019 season, Snell and the Rays agreed on a five-year, $50-million contract extension. In 2020, the 27-year-old left-hander was slated to make $7.6 million.