MLB says fiery rhetoric from players union is 'unfair, unwarranted, inflammatory'

The cold war between Major League Baseball and the union for its players is starting to heating up.

The union released a pointed statement Tuesday afternoon that said the massive amount of free agents still available reflects a "race to the bottom" among MLB clubs that threatens the "very integrity of our game."

8 questions and answers about labor war looming over 2018 MLB season

The stage has been set for a contentious spring that has raised serious (although probably ill-founded) fears of a work stoppage for the first time in more than two decades.