Skip to content

Snell regrets saying 'I've gotta get mine' in rant about pay cuts

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Blake Snell faced some backlash in May for his rant about possible Major League Baseball player pay cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Snell threatened to not participate in the 2020 season unless he was properly compensated for risking his health.

"I gotta get my money. I'm not playing unless I get mine," Snell said.

The 2018 American League Cy Young winner addressed the criticisms Friday at Rays summer camp with the season scheduled to begin in three weeks.

"The only thing about it that I didn't like with what I said was just, 'I've gotta get mine.' That was pretty bad," he said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "Everything I said, though, past that was pretty correct. But just how I started it, I could see how it could anger people, so I'd apologize for that. But everything after that was pretty spot-on with what we're doing right now."

Snell will earn $2,592,592 during the shortened season. He was originally set to make $7 million in 2020.

"I would say it wasn't tough when it came down to what the (players' association) agreed on," Snell said. "I like to follow through with what I say. So for that to be the case, definitely happy about that. Just with all the precautions MLB is taking, it makes it pretty easy to play. Everyone here is just super on their toes about it. So I feel very comfortable about it with everything MLB is doing."

Snell is looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2019 campaign, during which he posted a 6-8 record with a 4.29 ERA in 23 starts for the Rays.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox