Clark said the slow movement in free agency constituted an attack on the integrity of the gameGETTY IMAGES
MLB and the MLBPA yesterday "verbally sparred" with dueling statements about the stagnant free-agent market, opening the "possibility of a spring training full of saber rattling," according to Gerry Fraley of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark said that the slow movement "constituted an attack on the integrity of the game." He said, "This year a significant number of teams are engaged in a race to the bottom. This conduct is a fundamental breach of the trust between a team and its fans and threatens the very integrity of our game." MLB quickly responded with a statement, saying, "Our Clubs are committed to putting a winning product on the field for their fans. ... It is common at this point in the calendar to have large numbers of free agents unsigned. What is uncommon is to have some of the best free agents sitting unsigned even though they have substantial offers, some in nine figures." The statement added, "To lay responsibility on the Clubs for the failure of some agents to accurately assess the market is unfair, unwarranted and inflammatory" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/7). In N.Y., Tyler Kepner notes MLB "did not say which players had received nine-figure offers," though various reports have said that 1B Eric Hosmer and RF J.D. Martinez "have gotten them." Both players are represented by agent Scott Boras. The market "still has players who could clearly help teams," but with those players remaining unsigned, the MLBPA is "furious -- but powerless to do much about it" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/7). For a sport that has had labor peace since '95, the statements are "ominous" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/7).
JUST FANNING THE FLAMES: FANRAG SPORTS' Jon Heyman reported Boras yesterday "stopped short of using the word 'collusion,' but took issue with MLB revealing in its statement of response that 'some' nine-figure offers have been turned down." He said, "I find it interesting that the league office can state as fact that ... free agents have 'nine-figure' offers since the CBA mandates that teams not share that sort of information." Boras said that the issue "isn't the existence of offers or non-offers but MLB reporting the offers as fact when they shouldn't even know about them." MLB Deputy Commissioner/Baseball Administration & Chief Legal Officer Dan Halem replied to Boras' remark by saying, "If Mr. Boras spent as much time working on getting his players signed as he does issuing inflammatory and unsubstantiated statements to the press, perhaps the events of this offseason would be different" (FANRAGSPORTS.com, 2/6). THE ATHLETIC's Ken Rosenthal noted Boras has yet to sign any of his 15 clients that are free agents "to a major-league contract" this offseason. Meanwhile, Todd Frazier became the first CAA client to sign after reaching a two-year deal with the Mets earlier this week, though CAA "lacks Boras' star power overall" (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/6).
SHOW ME THE MONEY: ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick noted free-agent spending has "slowed to a level that's ratcheted up the tension." Nine players have "received three-year contracts this offseason, compared to 27 a year ago." Additionally, teams have spent $780M on free agents this winter, compared to $1.45B a year ago and $2.53B in the '15-16 offseason. New Brewers CF Lorenzo Cain's five-year, $80M contract is the "most lucrative deal of the offseason" (ESPN.com, 2/6). In DC, Dave Sheinin writes the gap between free-agent spending this offseason and previous offseasons "will close" once Martinez, Hosmer, 3B Mike Moustakas and Ps Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta "eventually sign." However, total spending on player salaries "appear in danger of declining year-to-year for the first time" since '09 (WASHINGTON POST, 2/7). MLB Network's Bill Ripken noted the players "might have to start accepting the fact that the market has seemed to change a little bit. If it changes, you might have to do something a little different" ("MLB Tonight," MLB Network, 2/6).
THINGS COULD KEEP GETTING UGLY: USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale writes there will be "four more seasons of labor peace" with the CBA signed through '21. However, things are "awfully nasty now" and things could really "get ugly then." The hope MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred had of "reaching a settlement with the union to bring ... more speed to the game of baseball" is just a "pipe dream now." The union has "no interest in trying to reach an agreement on pace of play with 100 free agents still unsigned, leaving Manfred now to decide whether to unilaterally implement a pitch clock and limit mound visits by the start of spring training games, or back off for another year, waiting for the hostilities to simmer." Nightengale: "So now we're left with distrust, hostility, and a spring training where we could have a whole lot of nastiness" (USA TODAY, 2/7). In S.F., John Shea writes the term "'labor peace' hardly is uttered anymore." There is "talk of a labor shutdown" despite having four years left in the current CBA (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/7). The N.Y. Post's Joel Sherman said, "This is not a good look for the sport a week before Spring Training that the commissioner's office and the players association are at their highest level of tension in a quarter of a century." MLB Network's Dan O'Dowd said the situation "does no good to the game," as it "just heightens the insecurities on both sides" ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 2/6).
THE PATH FORWARD: Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan in a series of tweets wrote MLB is "operating from a position of distinct power." If clubs are "using this CBA as a cudgel -- and they are -- it will be a long three years." But the "question is where the union directs its anger." So far, "ownership has been the target." But behind the scenes, "among some players and agents, knives are out" for Clark, who "oversaw the negotiations." If Clark can "rally support and stabilize his position, he has the most engaged group of players in decades." This "comes down to two things: strategy and unity." MLB to date is "winning both battles, and it’s compounding it with superior messaging. But don’t forget: This is Round 1" (TWITTER.com, 2/7).
