Bold opening: A single player is fighting for every MLB player, and that fight could reshape the sport you watch every season.
San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth is entering his seventh season in brown and gold, but this spring he’s doing more than fine-tuning his swing. At the team’s Peoria Sports Complex, Cronenworth’s responsibilities extend well beyond the field: he’s one of eight players serving on the Major League Baseball Players Association’s executive subcommittee, placing him at the heart of impending labor negotiations as the current collective bargaining agreement nears its December expiration.
“I take a lot of pride in this,” Cronenworth told ABC 10News Sports Director Ben Higgins on his “Ben and Woods” show on 97.3 The Fan. “I truly love fighting for not just our guys but all the players in baseball. It’s 1,200-plus guys we’re going to stand up for at the table.”
The issues in play are intricate. Cronenworth acknowledged that many fans hope for greater competitive balance and less spending by the team that has won back-to-back World Series titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet he’s hesitant to embrace a salary cap as the solution. He also highlighted the late Padres owner Peter Seidler as an example of a forward-looking leader who invested in talent and drew fans to the ballpark, ultimately delivering a successful era for the club.
“Fans want their team to win—100 percent,” Cronenworth said. “We’re living proof of what that looks like. God bless Peter’s soul, but he did it the right way. He signed players, drew people into the stands, and now you can see where we are.”
Meanwhile, owners reportedly favor a salary cap and could be prepared to lock out players in the offseason. For Cronenworth and his colleagues, the current moment is one of gratitude for what they’ve achieved and readiness for a new season, even as bargaining intensifies.
“Coming in each morning, sharing breakfast and coffee with the guys—that’s a true blessing. It’s a lot of fun,” he added.
Historically, baseball hasn’t missed a game because of a labor stoppage since the 1994 strike. If the sport is to keep that streak intact, it will require substantial compromise and leadership from both 30 club owners and veteran players like Cronenworth as the December deadline approaches.
Note: This story was originally reported on air and has been adapted for this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting across platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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