MLB players seem frustrated with 'secretive' arbitration process

The arbitration process in professional sports is never a pleasant experience, and MLB players seem to be getting especially tired of it this offseason.

Not only did the owners win 13 of the 19 cases that went to arbitration, but several players have also spoken out about the process, and at least one high-profile player (Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes) has said it may have damaged his relationship with the team. 

The latest player to speak out was Tampa Bay Rays reliever Ryan Thompson who expressed his frustration with what he called a "secretive" process in a lengthy Twitter thread on Wednesday. 

"If the process is created in order for fairness, then why don't we learn the laws of the land? In some sense, we were shooting in the dark not knowing what the arbitrators leaned into and what they disregarded. These understandings matter," tweeted Thompson. 

Among Thompson's complaints were the statistics used against him, and how he was not supposed to reveal the date of his arbitration hearing so potential arbitrators could not research them ahead of time. But Thompson said when he entered his hearing they all had their phones out, and that following the hearing they all went to the hotel bar instead of hashing out a decision.

You can read Thompson's entire Twitter thread here. 

Meanwhile, Burnes, the 2021 National League Cy Young winner, said his relationship with the Brewers is "definitely hurt" after the team ripped him to shreds in its arbitration process, resulting in Burnes getting a $10.01 million salary instead of the $10.75 million he was seeking. 

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported this week that neither side is truly happy with the process, and it could be a future labor battle. 

Most cases get settled before needing to go to arbitration, which should be the ultimate goal because there is no denying the system can be brutal. The players will fight to prop themselves up to get a better salary, while the team will do everything in its power to rip apart its own player -- and in the case of Burnes, an outstanding player -- to save a few thousand dollars. 

At some point that can't really be worth it. Why would the Brewers want to potentially damage a relationship with one of its best players to save an amount of money that is a drop in the bucket to them? Especially in a non-salary-capped sport? The answer, of course, is because they can. And it usually works in their favor.