MLB agent: Players outraged with FA, hints at boycott of spring training
The historically slow-moving free-agent market has become a serious point of contention between the league and its players this winter, and now one prominent agent has had enough.
Brodie Van Wagenen, the co-head of the baseball division at CAA Sports, issued a scathing statement Friday hinting at possible collusion among the owners, while claiming the players have had enough and threatened a potential boycott of spring training should players remain unsigned.
In 2017, the Players were content with a status quo Collective Bargaining Agreement. They enjoyed a 23 percent increase in their average salary from 2012 ($3.2M) to 2017 ($4.1M).
The average salary grew from $2.8M in 2017 to $3.2M in 2012 (just 13.8 percent growth). That is a 9.2 percent increase from the last CBA, during Tony Clark's first four years as the Executive Director of the Players' Association. $100M guaranteed contracts were regular occurrences. $200M contracts: yes. $300M: yes. Not bad by any measure. Free enterprise at its best.
The getting was good for both players and owners during an economic boom in the sports industry, based in large part to the value of live content in the entertainment landscape. Yes, baseball is entertainment and too often teams forget about the audience they serve.
However, the behavior of owners in this year's free agent market has changed dramatically. It feels coordinated, rightly or wrongly. Many club presidents and general managers with whom we negotiate with are frustrated with the lack of funds to sign the plethora of good players still available, raising further suspicion of institutional influence over spending. Even the algorithms that have helped determined player salaries in recent years are suggesting dramatically higher values than owners appear willing to spend.
Bottom line, the players are upset. No they are outraged. Players in the midst of long-term contracts are as frustrated as those still seeking employment. Their voices are getting louder and they are uniting in a way not seen since 1994.
I would suggest that testing the will of 1,200 alpha males at the pinnacle of their profession is not a good strategy for 30 men who are bound by a much smaller fraternity. These 1,200 players have learned first-hand that battles are won through teamwork, and they understand that championships cant' be achieved by individuals. They are won by a group unified by a singular focus. Victory at all costs. They are willing to sweat for it; they are willing to sacrifice for it; they are willing to cry for it; and most importantly, they are willing to bleed for it.
There is a rising tide among players for radical change. A fight is brewing. And it may begin with one, maybe two, and perhaps 1,200 willing to follow. A boycott of spring training may be a starting point, if behavior doesn't changes.
Players don't receive their paychecks until the second week of April. Fine them? Ok, for how much? Sue them? Ok, they'll see you in court two years from not. At what expense?
Baseball offers 4,881 dates to live content annually across 27 media markets. Franchise values are at all-time highs. Fans want to see the best players competing at the highest level.
Sign them;
Play them:
Celebrate them;
and then sit back and let them entertain us the way they have more than 100 years.
With less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, more than 100 free agents remain on the market - including prominent stars J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Greg Holland, Yu Darvish, and Mike Moustakas.