NEW YORK — Players are “justifiably outraged” at Major League Baseball over the double dealings a player agent had with top league officials, including commissioner Rob Manfred, the players’ union said Wednesday.

The union accused Manfred of downplaying and mischaracterizing events that led the MLB Players Association to decertify player agent Jim Murray for four years, calling the episode “extremely revealing” of the league’s own strategies.

In a 71-page notice of discipline it distributed to players this month, the Players Association detailed myriad back-channeling communications Murray had with Manfred and other league officials during sensitive negotiations in 2020, when the players and owners were discussing what players should be paid during the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, Murray advised Manfred not to give in to union head Tony Clark.

Manfred on Wednesday positioned the communications as routine, and the union shot back that they were anything but.

“I understand the union’s take on that situation,” Manfred said during a Wednesday news conference. “All I can tell you is that from the day I first set foot in Major League Baseball in 1986, every time there was a negotiation, there were conversations where agents reached out to owners, agents reached out to the commissioner’s office, the union reached out to owners. It has always happened. I did not regard those conversations to be different from any of the others that have taken place over the period of time that I’ve been involved.”

Responded the union in a statement to The Athletic: “Mr. Manfred’s comments suggesting there’s ‘nothing to see here’ both mischaracterize the facts and are extremely revealing of the league’s general approach to labor negotiations. There is nothing ‘business as usual’ about an agent acting as a ‘mole’ for the commissioner’s office, providing highly confidential information, circumventing the will of the players’ elected representatives, encouraging the league to reject union proposals and helping the league draft proposals and propaganda points. The agent community and players are justifiably outraged at MLB’s role in this activity and its attempts to circumvent the union.”

Manfred spoke to reporters Wednesday at MLB headquarters, where MLB’s owners gathered this week to talk about their approach to next year’s labor negotiations, among other issues.

“Because labor is closer now, labor was a topic of conversation,” Manfred said. “But those conversations have not progressed to the point where there’s anything that should be said publicly.”

MLB and the Players Association recently held a preliminary meeting to talk about the collective bargaining agreement, which expires in December 2026. Manfred declined to detail the discussion.

“We’re right at the beginning of kind of some informal meetings,” Manfred said. “I have always believed that bargaining is best if it’s conducted privately. I have great respect for the MLBPA, and I’m not going to get into characterizing those kinds of informal conversations — just a really bad first step.”

Manfred appeared to try to temper concerns that the fight when the CBA expires in December 2026 will be so antagonistic that games will be missed in 2027.

“There has never been a lost game since I became involved as an employee of baseball, and it is my goal to get this next one done keeping that record intact,” Manfred said, repeating a line he has used in the past. “It’s a lot of work to be done between now and then, but that’s my goal.”

Manfred also acknowledged what many team general managers said last week at meetings in Las Vegas: that the sport is doing well.

“The business has great momentum right now,” Manfred said. “I think we have been blessed with an influx of amazingly talented players from around the world, and that does matter when you’re trying to grow your business around the world. I think the changes that we’ve made in the game make the product on the field more compelling, and I think it showed up probably in terms of the metrics: more people going to ballparks live, more viewership really across all our platforms.”

Given how poorly the MLBPA took Manfred’s view of the Murray saga, one comment Manfred made when batting away questions about labor seemed ironic in hindsight.

“I’m just trying to have a good, open line of communication with the MLBPA,” Manfred said, “as you would hope you would have in a healthy labor relationship.”

Tropicana Field repairs progressing

The Tampa Bay Rays’ return to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., is on track for 2026, Manfred said. The team had to vacate for 2025 after the building was badly damaged by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.

“Most important update with the Rays is we are doing really well with respect to the renovations at the Trop,” Manfred said. “I think they only have two panels left, I believe, and they expect the roof to be dried out the first week in December, which is a really important milestone for us. There’s going to be new turf and padding, new flooring throughout, renovations of the suites, the seating areas. All the air-quality tests have come back fine. We’re really pleased with the progress.”

The new Rays ownership group, led by real-estate developer Patrick Zalupski, eventually has to build a new stadium. Manfred said the group is “getting the lay of the land in the Tampa Bay region to find out what their options are.”

Franchise sale comments

The Pohlad family’s efforts to sell minority stakes in the Minnesota Twins are ongoing, Manfred said.

“Those non-control interest sales are in process — on track and in process,” Manfred said, sharing no further details.

The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, were just put up for sale.

“My guess is it’s a really appealing franchise,” Manfred said. “They’ve done a great job building a fan base. The in-ballpark experience in San Diego’s probably one of our best. They’ve got some great players, and I expect there will be people that will be interested in buying.”