Payment Plan: Grimsley Likely To Receive Much Of ’06 Salary

Former D’Backs P Jason Grimsley, who was released after admitting to using the banned substance HGH, “probably is going to end up with a good portion of the money the Diamondbacks say they don’t owe him,” according to T.J. Quinn of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. MLB sources said that the MLBPA and reps from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s office are “in the process of working out a deal to avoid an arbitration hearing.” The union filed a grievance on Grimsley’s behalf, and MLB sources said that if the D’Backs “wanted out of his contract, they should have sought to break it under prescribed rules rather than grant him his release” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/17).

Gonzalez Wants To Clear Air With D’Backs Management

RUMOR MILL: D’Backs LF Luis Gonzalez, whose name was mentioned last week by D’Backs Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick as a rumored steroid user, said that he “would like to clear the air with Diamondbacks management.” Gonzalez: “I just kind of wish that somebody from our management would explain to me what was going on, or why. After the whole thing came out, none of those guys have really have come up to me and talked to me. I’ve been there eight years.” Kendrick, who apologized to Gonzalez in front of the team during a clubhouse meeting Thursday, said, “I told him how much respect I have for him as a player and in our community.” But Gonzalez responded, “The damage was already done” (EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, 6/18).

CODE BREAKERS: Kendrick last week also discussed creating a team code of conduct. But in N.Y., Murray Chass wrote Selig’s office “has labor relations executives who will explain the facts of labor life to Kendrick and save him from violating federal labor laws. Some people may not consider breaking labor laws as serious an offense as using steroids, but laws are laws and Kendrick can’t impose rules unilaterally on his employees.” MLBPA COO Gene Orza said, “From time to time, people come into the industry and want to change things around. There’s a process for that called the collective bargaining process. ... An individual club is not allowed to adopt working conditions for players that haven’t been negotiated” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/18).