Rays pitcher Blake Snell won't play for a reduced salary

As the MLB tries to figure out a way to begin a shortened season, one of the biggest questions is if players will receive a reduced salary to play. But Rays ace pitcher Blake Snell said that he won't be playing unless he receives his full salary.

"Y'all gotta understand, man, for me to go - for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof," Snell said on his Twitch channel. "It's a shorter season, less pay.

"No, 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?"

On Monday, owners approved a plan that would include a 50-50 revenue split between ownership and players. However, the plan is expected to be rejected by the MLBPA, as the two sides agreed in March that players were guaranteed a prorated portion of their salaries. Snell says that the risk he is taking in playing amid a global pandemic is far too great for him to accept a reduced salary.

"Bro, I'm risking my life," Snell said. "What do you mean it should not be a thing? It should 100% 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 that, it's getting taxed. So imagine how much I'm actually making to play, you know what I'm saying?"

Snell followed up by texting the Tampa Bay Times, making it clear that he would be willing to skip the season. He noted that while he may be perceived as greedy, he feels the revenue split with ownership "is super frustrating because we have way more risk."

Snell is set to enter the second year of a five year, $50 million deal with the Rays. He won the AL Cy Young in 2018.