Blake Snell on playing baseball in 2020: “it’s just not worth it”

Blake Snell has again spoken out while live streaming on twitch — the platform that has helped cultivate Snell from one of the best pitchers in baseball to one of the most relevant players in the sport in 2020.

This time, Snell became one of the first players to speak out at length against playing baseball in 2020, particularly when pay cuts have been proposed by MLB, perhaps as a precursor to revenue sharing in future seasons.

You can watch a video capture of Snell’s words here or at the bottom of the page. His thoughts are transcribed as follows:

I’m not splitting no revenue, I want all mine. Bro, y’all gotta understand too, cause y’all gonna be like, ‘Bro, Blake, play for the love of the game, man! 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, it should a hundred percent be a thing. If I’m gonna play I should be getting the money I signed to be getting paid. I should not be getting half of what I’m getting paid because the season’s 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 of that, it’s getting taxed!

So, imagine how much I’m actually making to play, you know what I’m saying?

Like, I ain’t making shit, and on top of that — so, all that money’s gone, and now I play risking my life. And if I get the ‘rona — on top of that, if I get the ‘rona — guess what happens with that? Oh yeah, that stays. That’s in my body forever. That damage is not gonna be like — the damage that was done to my body? That’s gonna be there forever.

So, now I gotta play with that, on top of that. Y’all gotta understand, for me to go — for me to take a pay cut? Not happening, because the risk is through the roof, it’s a shorter season.

I gotta get my money. I’m not playing unless I get mine, ok? And that’s just the way it is for me, like, I’m sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way the hell higher and the amount of money i’m making is way lower, why would I think about doing that? Like you know, I’m just — I’m sorry.

So, in my head, I’m preparing for next season, and — well I’m actually preparing for right now, but as if I’m preparing for next season. Like, it’s super weird man.

But guys, I’m just saying, it doesn’t make sense for me to lose all of that money, and then go play, and then be on lockdown, not around my family, not around the people I love, and get paid way the hell less, and then the risk of injury runs every time I step on the field, so it’s just not worth it. It’s not!

I love baseball to death, it’s just not worth it.