CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
As the 2022 Major League Baseball season approaches, many have found themselves focusing on the Cleveland Guardians' payroll.
That includes players across the league.
Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Wednesday morning, San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson took a shot at the Guardians, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles. Posting a screenshot that showed the disparity between the top three and bottom three payrolls in baseball, the 2015 All-Star stated that the fanbases of the bottom three teams should be "embarrassed" by their team's lack of spending.
"Embarrassed for your fan base…be better," Pederson wrote. "If you can’t, sell [your] team to somebody that wants to show the fan base and baseball they’re at least trying to compete. Sorry unacceptable."
While the figures that Pederson posted weren't entirely accurate -- Cot's Baseball Contracts projects that Cleveland's Opening Day payroll will be closer to $49 million -- the Guardians are still expected to rank as the third-lowest payroll in the league behind the Pirates and Orioles. It's also worth noting that Cleveland had been linked as a potential free agent suitor for Pederson, who went on to sign a one-year, $6 million contract with the Giants last week.
Pederson's tweet comes just days after Chicago White Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel also took a shot at Cleveland's payroll while discussing the state of the American League Central Division.
"Detroit may take the next step. I've always liked Kansas City even though they really haven't performed. And Cleveland is Cleveland, they always figure out a way to win and hang in there," Keuchel said according to James Fegan of The Athletic. "From a [collective bargaining agreement] standpoint, I'd like Cleveland to pay their players more, but I'm not an ownership group so I can't say much. I think it's going to be a competitive division, I really do."
The Guardians are scheduled to open up their 2022 regular season on April 7 against the Kansas City Royals.