Regardless of the pictures the public relations game paints, there are no victims in baseball’s labor negotiations, at least not between those at the bargaining table.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has done his posturing; so, too, has union chief Tony Clark. The league has pulled down content and anything else from its family of websites showing the image or likeness of current players; the MLBPA — per executive board member Max Scherzer — is digging in with a war chest of funds to help players get through an extended period without pay.
It feels like they’re worlds apart, but with two months before teams are to report to spring training, the season isn’t in jeopardy.