Major League Baseball has taken steps to try to speed up the pace of play—but it may be doing so at the expense of its players.

Or at least says Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer.

Earlier this year, MLB implemented a new rule that shortened the time in between innings. That means pitchers have less time to get ready out on the mound before facing opposing hitters.

Following Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field, Bauer criticized the shortened warm-up time while citing player safety concerns, via Cleveland.com:

The right-hander took the loss despite allowing just one run on three hits in eight innings.

While those comments may get the attention of commissioner Rob Manfred, Bauer wasn't done. He made it known that he is willing to pay up if it means he can protect his arm, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com):

"I was like, 'Look, I'll take the fine if I need to, but I'm not going to put myself at risk and I'm not going to put the team at risk of me having exactly what happened happen. Throw a pitch that you're not ready to compete on because you're still trying to get loose and it gets hit over the fence and we lose because of it—not because of it, but it was a contributing factor."

Of course, money isn't necessarily a huge concern for Bauer. This is a player who attempted to make a mockery of the arbitration process this offseason, and when that didn't happen, he decided to do his trolling through charitable donations.

Bauer continued to make his case to reporters, noting that pitching in frigid conditions, like Saturday in Cleveland, can be tough on a pitcher:

"Since I don't cheat like a lot of guys and put stuff on my hand, just grab the ball and throw it, my pitches were somewhat inconsistent. It's like a cue ball. It slips out of your hand. But, it is what it is. It's worse for the hitters. I was looking forward to it. I thought I pitched pretty well overall."

Some will look at this as a player who is salty after a loss—but Bauer pitched well on this day. He won 17 games last season and knows what it takes for him to be prepared to do his job at the highest level. When it comes to throwing in the mid-90s or snapping off breaking balls, pitchers can never be too cautious with there approach.

It's just more than one week into the season, meaning players are still adjusting to all of the new rules. Of course, if concerns are raised, perhaps the league will listen and address the matter.