MLBPA Promises To Fight Termination Of Denny Neagle’s Deal

MLBPA Files Grievance Against Rockies Over Neagle’s Contract

The MLBPA filed a grievance Monday to retrieve the $19M remaining on former Rockies P Denny Neagle’s contract, which the team terminated nine days ago for “a breach of a morals clause following his second legal scrape in 14 months,” according to Troy Renck of the DENVER POST. Neagle was cited recently for allegedly soliciting a prostitute. Rockies Chair & CEO Charlie Monfort: “Since he was terminated for (the morals) clause, we think we have the right not to pay him because we don’t believe he abided by his contract. I don’t know what will happen, but we obviously wanted to look into it.” Renck notes MLB and industry execs do not believe an arbiter “would rule in the Rockies’ favor, citing a lack of precedent” (DENVER POST, 12/15). Neagle signed the five-year, $51M deal in December ‘00. The Rockies cited section 7 (b) (1) of MLB’s uniform player contract, which states a team can terminate a contract if a player should "fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition” (AP, 12/14).