BenFred: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is a problem in the clubhouse – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A player’s productive postseason experience matters when he joins a World Series contender before the trade deadline.A pitcher snapping a skid with a dominant performance that sparks a winning streak means more than a number in the win column.Even the most advanced metrics in a value-obsessed sport can’t quantify a clubhouse presence. When it comes to team morale, guys are either one of two things. A minus, or a plus.Here’s something Major League Baseball owners should take a moment to consider when they gather this week for their meetings in Orlando, Florida.What is commissioner Rob Manfred’s score with players, and how is it hurting negotiations, or lack thereof, during this ongoing labor dispute?“He (Manfred) has galvanized us in ways he can’t imagine,” an anonymous MLB player said to Forbes. “He underestimates how unified we are in this moment.”Other players are more than happy to put their name on their criticism. “Manclown and his boys need to figure it out and stop ruining the game of baseball,” Cubs starter Marcus Stroman tweeted.“Not a single negotiation with the guy has been in good faith,” Trevor May said during a recent livestream. “He doesn’t do good faith things.”The Mets reliever was just getting…
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