Clark’s contract as head of MLBPA extended through 2022
IRVING, TEXAS >> Tony Clark’s contract as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association was extended through
2022, a year past the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement with MLB.
The former All-Star first baseman became executive director after previous union head Michael Weiner died in
2013, and Clark led negotiations for a labor contract covering 2017-21.
“As much as anything, the engagement of our guys, the interest that they have, both now and moving forward, being connected to that, supportive of that, and leading them through that is something that I’m grateful for the opportunity to do,” Clark said Wednesday after the MLBPA finished its annual executive board meeting.
This week’s meeting was at the same North Texas resort hotel where Clark and the MLPBA met two years ago with management and reached a verbal agreement on the current labor contract. In August, the union made a key addition to its staff when it hired Bruce Meter as senior director of collective bargaining and legal.
There were increased tensions between players and management when dozens of experienced free agents went unsigned into spring training this year — and some even much longer. Two weeks into spring training, about onethird of the 166 players who exercised free agency rights last November hadn’t reached contract agreements.
There are about 150 free agents right now early in this offseason.
Asked whether he felt things would be different this time, Clark said he is “cautiously optimistic” that they will.
“We have concerns that we had last year, particularly as they’re related to competition on the field and how those manifest themselves into decisions related to rosters and individual players. Those concerns are still there,” he said. “But we remain cautiously optimistic that a year later the interests of the individual clubs and the industry as a whole has teams making decisions with an eye on competition in the near term, and now three, four, five, six years down the road.”
Torreyes traded from Yankees to Cubs
NEW YORK >> Infielder Ronald Torreyes was traded from the New York Yankees to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named or $2 million.
The 26-year-old was designated for assignment Monday to clear a roster spot when the Yankees claimed right-hander Parker Bridwell off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. The trade was announced Wednesday.
Torreyes was acquired by the Cubs from Cincinnati in December 2011 and spent 1½ seasons in Chicago’s minor league system. His contract was purchased by Houston in July 2013, by Toronto in May
2015 and by the Los Angeles Dodgers the following month.
He made his major league debut with the Dodgers that September and was traded to the Yankees in January
2016. In quick succession he was claimed off waivers by the Angels and re-claimed by the Yankees.
Torreyes hit .292 with
36 RBIs in 315 at-bats over
108 games in 2017, but spent much of this year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and batted .280 with seven RBIs in 100 at-bats over 41 games for the Yankees.
He is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time.
Brewers and catcher Kratz avoid arbitration
MILWAUKEE >> Veteran catcher Erik Kratz and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a $1.2 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration and includes a
$300,000 guarantee. Kratz hit .236 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 219 plate appearances last season. He also excelled in Milwaukee’s Division Series win over the Colorado Rockies, going 5 for 8 in two games.
The 38-year-old earned a prorated share of his $1 million salary this year and $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.
His deal was announced Tuesday, three days before the deadline for teams to offer contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters.
Kratz would have a
$346,774 salary while in the minor leagues. He has additional bonuses for finishing among the top three in MVP voting, making the All-Star team, and winning a World Series or League Championship Series MVP, a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger or the Hank Aaron Award.
Athletics plan waterfront ballpark to open in 2023
OAKLAND, CALIF. >> Dave Kaval can look out his office window and immediately envision a new privately funded ballpark he plans to get built, and it now feels like much more of a reality — with renderings and a real plan, not to mention the city’s support.
The Oakland Athletics have found a waterfront location for their ballpark, with picturesque views toward San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and Port of Oakland. Plans were announced Wednesday, with the goal to open in 2023. There is no announced price at this stage, and Kaval didn’t want to even share an estimate. A California Environmental Quality Act assessment will begin immediately.
Kaval, the enthusiastic, high-energy team president who oversaw a successful new stadium for Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, had hoped to finalize a site by the end of the year.