PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Max Scherzer, the Mets’ new star pitcher, was perhaps the most prominent face of the players’ union’s fight with Major League Baseball’s club owners over a new labor contract.
He sits on a top union subcommittee. He was at the nine straight days of face-to-face negotiations last month in Jupiter, Fla., which included a marathon 16 ½-hour session. And he spent countless hours on the phone with his counterparts across the league — all while trying to juggle fatherhood and getting ready for the season.
“The X’s and O’s of the proposals and everything, I enjoyed being on the front lines for that,” said Scherzer, 37, on Saturday afternoon, the day before players were required to report for the rushed, abbreviated spring training.