There is a power struggle with the MLBPA as frustration among players is simmering. In regards to the state of free agency this offseason, there is a sudden urge for change in union leadership. Reports from Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Jeff Passan of ESPN indicate that during a call between union reps and union leadership earlier this week, players pushed executive director Tony Clark to replace his second-in-command, deputy director Bruce Meyer, with former MLBPA lawyer Harry Marino.
If Marino and his supporters are successful, it looks likely that Meyer’s exit would also mean Clark would be out as well.
Pressure Mounting with MLBPA Over Bruce Meyer
The long and sometimes heated call included some of the 72 player representatives across both the majors and minors. The call did not end with a clear resolution. Marino is the former head of Advocates For Minor Leagues. He temporarily joined the MLBPA, working alongside Meyer on negotiations on the minor league collective bargaining agreement. It led to minor leaguers unionizing and was formally adopted by the MLPBA. According to Drellich and Rosenthal, Marino and Meyer have a “strained” relationship from their time working on that effort. They further noted that Meyer on the call accused Marino of coming for his job.
Notably, Marino was not involved in the call. Clark rebuffed the player’s requests that he be present.
Frustration from the Players’ Side
Frustration has boiled over from a variety of topics, including the stalled market for some of baseball’s top free agents. Then, the erosion of the middle class of free agency and a decrease in free agent spending. Plus, the release of J.D. Davis following his victory in an arbitration hearing, continues to be concerns for the players. Passan explained that support for Marino’s rise to the No.2 spot in the union was not a unanimous decision among players. Critics question Marino’s age (33) along with his lack of experience when it comes to high-profile negotiations prior to his work with the minor league union.
Meyer, 62, joined the union in August 2018. He’s spent more than three decades working with unions from other major sports, including player unions in the NFL, NHL, and NBA.
Top Free Agents
It took some time for the top free agents to find new homes. However, there are factors that come into play here: uncertainty surrounding the television broadcast rights of roughly a third of the league. A large part of that is due to the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings at Diamond Sports Group, which owns Bally Sports Network, a slate of high-spending clubs running into top-level luxury tax penalties and a large portion of Boras Corporation clients atop the free agent market.
According to both The Athletic and ESPN, rival agents pushed the ideas that Meyer influenced and aligned with the Boras corporation more than other agencies.
“It’s absurd,” Meyer said in 2021 of the Boras allegations. “The players run the union. Scott’s obviously an important agent to the extent he represents a lot of players, and we talk to Scott just like walk to any agent who wants to talk to us.”
Scott Boras Decries MLBPA
Drellich and Rosenthal recently shared that Scott Boras railed against Marino’s attempted ouster of MLBPA leadership. Marino shot back that Boras’ support of Clark should be considered alarming and added that Boras’ effectiveness was waning.
“The players who sought me out want a union that represents the will of the majority. Scott Boras is rich because he makes- or used to make- the richest players in the game richer. That he is running to the defense of Tony Clark and Bruce Meyer this morning is genuinely alarming.”
It’s been a tough season for the top clients of the game. It is worth noting that beyond the “Boras four”, his agency did land major league contracts for 13 other free agents. Fellow agents are the root of a good bit of the pushback regarding Boras and whatever influence he may or not have. However, it is understanding why many clients of those rival agencies have similar suspicions.
Current CBA Expires in 2026
The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and MLBPA runs through 2026. The players union has a lot of work to do to get on the same page before going into negotiations with team owners. Minor leagues now have a significant say in the governance of the MLBPA. The executive board of the union has 72 slots: 38 to the big leagues and 34 to the minor leaguers.
Main Photo: © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
