ALL- STAR PIRATES
Pirates first baseman Josh Bell greets his teammates, including pitcher Felipe Vazquez, as he’s introduced for the Major League Baseball All- Star Game on Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
CLEVELAND — MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark initially gave a succinct answer about the MLBPA grievance against the four teams including the Pirates.
“It’s still pending,” Clark said Tuesday at the Baseball Writer’s Association of America meeting. “It’s an ongoing legal situation and we try to be careful about how we address active litigation.”
The grievance was filed in February 2018 over the use of revenue sharing by the Pirates, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred countered before spring training this year that the Pirates finished above .500 last season and the Rays and A’s contended for playoff spots in the American League.
“Tony Clark started the assertion that teams aren’t trying to win by singling out four teams,” Manfred said. “He did a very poor job with those teams. One won 97 games, another won 90, and the other was a game above .500 … two games above .500. Our teams are trying. They all want to win.”
Manfred spoke to the BBWAA after Clark on Tuesday and reiterated his previous statements.
“This narrative that our teams aren’t trying is just not supported by the facts. Our teams are trying,” he said. “Every single one of them wants to win. It may look a little different to outsiders because the game has changed. The way people think about putting a winning team together has changed. But that doesn’t mean they’re not trying.”
The Pirates ( 44- 45) are a game below .500 and 2 ½ games out of first place in the National League Central. The Pirates also have a payroll in the bottom five in baseball. One could argue the Pirates plan is working. One could also argue the Pirates might be in first place if they spent more money.
The Post- Gazette was able to catch up with Clark at batting practice before the All- Star Game at Progressive Field, and he expounded further on the grievance.
“The grievance we filed demonstrates we have some concerns,” Clark said. “The system we have now allows for dollars to be moved from one club to another. The MLBPA anticipates that each team will use those dollars in a fashion that improves the product on the field. That is what the agreement suggests.”
Clark believes the data his staff collected shows that the Pirates and the other teams aren’t allocating their revenue sharing money in accordance with the collected bargaining agreement.
“We track and follow all of the economic systems within the game. When we see concerns, we voice them to the other side,” Clark said. “Sometimes these concerns require a more in - depth look and that is what the grievance is about. Pittsburgh is one of the teams we’ve had concerns with, and we’ve also had concerns with them in the past.”
Pirates team president Frank Coonelly has called the grievance “baseless.” Clark disagrees.
Clark is acutely aware of fans being frustrated with the on- field payroll. “Our industry is driven by fan engagement. Fans in Pittsburgh were already showing their frustration before the grievance.
“We want fans in all 30 markets to feel excited about what the team they’re following is putting on the field.”