MLB scrubs official site of player headshots, news as lockout gets underway

While some critics have called out MLB for being petty with the drastic changes, the league did offer an explanation for the startling appearance of its official site, saying in a statement found on MLB.com that “there will be limitations on the type of content we display” due to the current situation.

Also available on MLB’s official site is “A letter to baseball fans” penned by commissioner Rob Manfred, a link that was shared on social media via the league’s official Twitter account.

“I want to explain to you how we got here and why we have to take this action today. Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season,” Manfred writes in part. “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It’s simply not a viable option. From the beginning, the MLBPA has been unwilling to move from their starting position, compromise, or collaborate on solutions.”

No additional content, news, etc., has been shared on Twitter by the league since the lockout went into effect, including late Wednesday evening and into Thursday.

In reaction to the MLB’s alterations to its official site, several major leaguers have responded in kind by removing their Twitter avatars and replacing them with the generic player headshot that MLB is employing on its site.

In comments made Thursday, Manfred conceded the lockout is “not a good thing for the sport.” That sentiment is perhaps one of the few things upon which the league and the MLBPA might presently agree.