Rise in Average MLB Salary Lowest Since 2004

Major League Baseball players have seen their average annual salaries go up every year basically since the 2004 season when the percent dropped 2.5 percent. Major League Baseball was in the midst of cleaning up the game then and the mega contracts were becoming scarcer but now injuries were almost to blame for another drop in salary. In 2016 the average MLB salary was $3,966,020 which was up just 0.35 percent from last season’s $3,952,252.

As a whole MLB said that salaries increased from $3.58 billion to $3.69 billion through August 31^st of last season including those players who were on the disabled lists. That salary figure included 964 players on active rosters and disabled lists which was up from 933 players on the eve before September call ups in 2015.

In 2016 there were 561 different disabled list trips which led to more than 31,500 days spent on the disabled list. Both were MLB records. This led to more young players being called up at the league minimum of $507,500 which kept the overall growth down.

I find it hard to feel sorry for the players even getting paid $507,500 a year to play baseball let alone the ones getting paid multi-millions of dollars annually. I want to add that I am not one of these “they shouldn’t be getting paid millions to play a kids game” type of people or fans, I think that is obvious by my blog name and my work on the blog over the years, but at the same time…. I’d play MLB for $20 if they’d let me. You know? Sometimes your love for the game has to take over your wants, needs and greed for the green.

Steroid/Stimulant Use Penalties Just Got Tougher

Earlier this morning we brought you the results from the previous season’s steroid and performance enhancing drug testing done by Major League Baseball and now we bring you a bit of news regarding those 15 failed drug tests out of the 8,281 tests given and what it could  mean to those whole try to “beat the train” again in 2017. The testing is getting harder and more frequent in the new collective bargaining agreement and the penalties are too.

The suspension for a second stimulant violation, such as Adderall, is going up from 25 games to 50 games while a third violation is now a 100-game suspension, up from 80 games just a season ago. You better get that medical exemption if you want to use Adderall, just saying. A fourth suspension is an automatic permanent ban from the game of Major League Baseball.

You may take your case to an arbitrator to get your penalties decreased, the arbitrator can decrease the suspension to as little as 30 games which is down from 40 games just a season ago, as a first-time offender but you must prove that the stimulant found in your urine was there and “not your fault.” However you do that. I guess by pulling a David Ortiz and buying “some supplement from the mall at some damn GNC” while hugging the Commissioner… again, just saying. 

MLB Releases Drug Testing Results from 2016

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have released the results from league-wide drug testing in 2016. Here are the results if you were curious.

All-in-all there were 8,281 tests performed under MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program dating back to last offseason to this offseason and of those over 8,000 tests only 15 were failed tests for either steroids, performance enhancing drugs or stimulants. Twelve of the fifteen were for PED’s while three were for stimulants such as Adderall.

Speaking of Adderal, 105 medical exemptions were given to players who suffered from attention deficit disorder (ADD) in 2016 which equates to 8% of all MLB players.

All-in-all you have to think MLB is happy with these numbers. That number is never going to be 0 but I think that 15 failed tests in an entire calendar year is as close to that number as you’re going to get. There’s always going to be those handful of players that want to “beat the train” and take those drugs anyway so this is a win in my eyes for MLB.

Great job. 

MLBPA Pushing For 7-Day DL in New CBA

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have already begun preliminary discussions surrounding the renewal of a new collective bargaining agreement to avoid a work stoppage and keep the players on the field for another four seasons. While we haven't heard much out of either camp as far as specifics, you know that both sides will want what the other side doesn't and they will ultimately meet in the middle, but we heard of one thing that the MLPA is going to push for this winter, a 7-Day disabled list.

Currently MLB had a 15-Day DL, a 60-Day DL which removes you from the 40 man roster and a 7-Day concussion disabled list if said player can get approval from MLB's medical director before activation. This is not the first time the Players Union has pushed for a 7-Day DL but there are concerns that teams would exploit the system, specifically with starting pitchers who would not make a start in the next seven days with off days and the use of a sixth starter. While the deal would come with much negotiation it is unclear whether the league is willing to budge on this.

This would have come in handy for the Yankees in recent weeks as they played with a 23 man roster and a two man bench while Alex Rodriguez and Aaron Hicks battled little nagging injuries. You have to think the Yankees would have added one or both of them to a 7-Day DL if they had the chance while a 15-Day DL may have been a bit overkill for both injuries.

There is a 7-Day DL in the minor leagues so it is not out of the realm of possibilities that it would come to the Major Leagues. We have all year to speculate and watch out for this and topics like it so stay tuned to The Greedy Pinstripes because we'll have it here when and if they do.

Breaking News? Vinny Milano Will Not Return to Bleachers in 2016?

I have no words. At first I thought he was kidding. He's not. GOFUNDME and now! Damn :(

Jose Bautista Needs to Calm Down

Jose Bautista has been seen during the ALCS pre-game workouts and such wearing a “Toronto vs. Everybody” t-shirt as the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder continues to play the victim. The victim that was seen in right field doing WWE star John Cena’s signature “you can’t see me” after throwing out two members of the New York Yankees. The victim that flipped the bat during Game 5 of the ALDS almost as far as the eventual game winning home run he hit. It’s not Toronto vs. Everybody it’s YOU vs. Everybody and you need to calm down.

I understand that this is the first time the Blue Jays outfielder has been to the postseason in his 12-year career and I understand that emotions and pressure are running amuck right now. Calm down, you have gone from keeping the Toronto Blue Jays relevant in a way only Carlos Delgado could in the past 22-seasons without a postseason berth to being the players that all the fans love to hate. You’re better than that Joey Bats.

It’s not a team-based thing, I actually respect the Toronto Blue Jays as a team and as an organization, and it’s 100% not an ethnic thing, although I’ve seen the ethnic card being tossed around of late, it’s a respect thing. You disrespect yourself, the game and the opposing team’s players and fans when you act like this, flipping bats, making gestures etc. You’re a role model, is this how you want your kids to act on the High School ball field when they don’t have the MLB Players Association, the league, droves of security and teammates and fans to back them up?

You’re 35-years old now and you’re finally in the postseason, congratulations. No one on that field probably deserves it more than you. I know I can’t say act like you’ve been here before, because you can’t because you haven’t, but act like the face of the franchise that many believe you to be and not some young, arrogant up-and-coming kid that that everyone is going to love to hate. Represent the game and represent your homeland and people, don’t give them a black eye before they even make their way over to the states to pursue THEIR dream.

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners 7/18

The New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners are back at it again this afternoon inside Yankee Stadium as the two face off head-to-head in a day game after a night game. These are the types of scenarios that MLB Players Association head Tony Clark hopes to avoid by shortening the schedule to 154 games but when you’re paying a guy $15- $30 million a season guaranteed whether they play or not I find it hard to feel sorry for them but anyway, I digress. The Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound this afternoon in the Bronx to face off with Hisashi Iwakuma for the Seattle Mariners. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Pineda has looked decent in his last three starts allowing just four runs, three of them earned, while punching out 24 batters in 21.2 innings pitched. If the Yankees are going to go anywhere this season it is going to be on the right arm of yesterday’s starter, Masahiro Tanaka, and today’s starter, Michael Pineda.

• Iwakuma is fresh off a start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he threw eight shutout innings in a victory for Seattle. This was just Iwakuma’s second start since coming off the disabled list and it improved his overall record to 1-1 and his ERA to 5.22 this season. Iwakuma owns a 1-2 record with a 3.33 ERA career against New York in four starts.

The New York Yankees have one more game tomorrow in the Bronx before another off day so I expect all hands to be on deck in the bullpen not only for this contest but for tomorrow’s as well. The Yankees bullpen is definitely the strength of this team and the more that Joe Girardi can use the pen, without overusing them of course, the better off the team will be. I want to win and this team will live and die off the offense and the bullpen, let’s hope both are up to the task this afternoon in the Bronx. Go Yankees!

Independence Day Eve & Potential A-Rod Compromises

EDIT: The New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez have agreed to donate $3.5 million to various charities to end the dispute. Bravo to both sides, bravo.

While many were preparing for their Independence Day cookouts and trips to see the fireworks Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was reporting that the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez were discussing a solution to the $6 million bonus the team may or may not owe Rodriguez.  While this may seem like an original idea to solve a problem and avoid a grievance it's not, I had this idea back in April. Now while I admit was probably not the first to come up with this idea I haven't seen it put on paper before I had it and I think that counts for something.

On April 28th I asked the question whether Alex's milestones were marketable or not, SEEN HERE, and again brought up the idea of donating the money to a charity on June 17th almost three weeks later.

Representatives from the Yankees, Rodriguez and the MLB Players Union have stated that while a deal is not considered close the group has made "quiet progress" in coming to an agreement that could redirect the money "owed" to Alex. The early details of the decision would have the $6 million, and only this $6 million not the next milestone for trying Babe Ruth at 714 home runs, divided and spread across charities hand-chosen by both Hal Steinbrenner and Rodriguez.

This deal could come together rather quickly or it could completely fall apart, that is the bad thing about this deal and how sensitive any agreement would be. I guess you'll have to stay tuned but I will say this either way: I'm glad that Alex did the right thing and continued his PR makeover and I'm also appreciative that the Yankees are willing to avoid more distractions and turmoil with one of their players that is so valuable to the team in 2015.

Are They or Aren’t They Marketable Milestones?

Keeping in mind that I am far from a lawyer and sometimes guilty of living in an oversimplified black and white world when the world we live in is anything but that you have to wonder if Alex Rodriguez has any chance of winning this impending fight with the New York Yankees over his $6 million marketing milestone bonus for tying Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. If I understand this correctly, and I believe I do because I researched this for hours over the past few weeks, the contract that Rodriguez signed with these $6 million bonuses for tying Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds and eventually passing Bonds was a separate contract from his player contract, it was a marketing contract, and you have to wonder if the Yankees don’t have a point about the lack of marketability surrounding Rodriguez.

Again, from what I understand the Yankees were going to pay Alex for the rights to the videos and images of his historic home run which was evidently clearly expressed in the terms of the contract. Again, being pretty black and white, you would think this is a pretty cut and dry case. If the Yankees don’t want to own or use the videos and images when the home run occurs then why would they want to pay for them? If this was written into his MLB mandated guaranteed player contract that would be another story but you cannot write in milestones and accomplishments like that into your player contract according to the collective bargaining agreement. Alex can sue and the Players Union can get involved, and this will get ugly once again before it gets resolved, but I can’t see Mr. Rodriguez getting this one out of the Yankees unfortunately.

ESPN made an interesting point on Sunday night when they were talking about it and it makes you wonder if the Yankees and Alex would be willing to meet in the middle somewhere and avoid another black eye to the organization. No one comes out the good guy if the Yankees refuse to pay Rodriguez and Rodriguez files a grievance but there is one way for everyone to come out on top here. Donate the $6 million to a charity and let the marketability of Rodriguez feed the children of New York City or something like that. Doesn’t that seem like something maybe a certain someone, *cough* Derek Jeter *cough*, would do?

I don’t pretend to know Rodriguez’s financial situation and he may very well need the money but honestly he should have thought about that before doing steroids the second time. I’m the biggest A Rod fan you will meet but I don’t let that blind me to the facts and blind me to what is right and wrong. Rodriguez screwed up and he paid his time and the Yankees don’t see him as marketable to the general media anymore, and if you have listened to any of his at bats on the road this season you would know that they are correct. Rodriguez can take his losses and gain something from it by avoiding lighting the Bronx on fire once again and maybe wins back a few fans in the process. It’s probably not worth $6 million to him but in the end it could mean so much more so do the right thing A Rod and show the world your human side once again. 

Tony Clark wants Pete Rose Reinstated and so do I

We all knew it was coming when we heard that former Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig was retiring and new Commissioner Rob Manfred was taking over but now it’s official and the ink is dry. Pete Rose has sent in his application to Commissioner Manfred for reinstatement into the game of Major League Baseball. Manfred said he was open to the idea and would review the case, although naturally no timetable would be set for a decision either way, but this week Rose got one significant person inside MLB in his corner in MLB Player’s Association head Tony Clark. Clark went as far as to ditch the political correctness of it all and said he wanted Rose back in the game. Clark was quoted as saying the following short, simple and to the point quote:

"I would love to see Pete reinstated."

We all know that Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 following an investigation that concluded that he bet on the team he was managing, the Cincinnati Reds, to win games. Sports betting was against the rules and the moral conduct code then as much as steroids are against them now yet players with one, two or in Manny Ramirez’s case three strikes (that we know about) are still not banned from the game permanently. Rose betting on the game was wrong but unlike say a Shoeless Joe Jackson ban for throwing and affecting the outcome of World Series games Rose went out and did what he would have done whether he had a bet on the game or not, he tried to win the game. He was employed to win games and his career as a manager was dependent on him winning games. He had a lot more at stake than money every time he went into that dugout as a manager, his livelihood and his ability to provide his family was at stake.

The message has been sent to anyone and everyone who would ever consider betting on the game, especially Rose, and it’s time to re-open that case and that book in history and right a wrong. Call me progressive, call me soft-hearted, hell call me a liberal I don’t care just don’t call me late for dinner. Get Rose back in the game, the game deserves it a lot more than Rose deserves it and the game needs one less black eye on its plate. This is an easy fix and would start off the Manfred era with a bang, make it happen. 

MLB Could Be Returning to Cuba

Now that President Obama has been working with Raul Castro to improve the relationship between the United States and Cuba there has been plenty of speculation that Major League Baseball may be returning to Cuba. I say returning to Cuba because the Cincinnati Reds once had their Triple-A affiliate in Cuba, the Havana Sugar Kings, and the Major League Baseball Player's Association President Tony Clark may be open to seeing the game return there.

Not to get too political here but it is going to be a slow healing process between the US and Cuba after tensions were so high for so long. Major League Baseball may be the common ground between these two countries and could act as an olive branch from our side of things. Cuba is worried about how the new relations, and laws, could affect their league the Serie Nacional. There are now talks of Spring Training games heading to Cuba in the near future with the eventual goal of playing MLB games and having minor league affiliates there.

Major League Baseball is a global game and this is the next step in its expansion of that goal. This is a great time to be a fan of MLB and a great time to be alive in my very humble opinion.

The Alex Rodriguez Milestone HR Nugget We Missed

The nugget, a term that Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue taught me, is a little bit of information that is thrown into an article that is sometimes missed or purposely overlooked. On Monday we reported that the New York Yankees were looking to void the home run milestone bonuses associated in a marketing contract that Alex Rodriguez signed with the team in 2007. While writing the article, in between eye rolls anyway, I thought of the circus that Rodriguez was going to bring the team over this but when I jumped on the USA Today this morning I feel like my sarcastic eye rolls may have been directed in the wrong direction. The way the USA Today is wording it and reporting it the team may flat out refuse to pay the money to Rodriguez whether an agreement or termination of the contract comes first.

A team flat out refusing to pay a player the terms of their contract, player contract or marketing contract, would probably not be allowed by the league and the MLB Players Association. Rodriguez’s contract states that each $6 million payment is due within 15 days after the home run milestone in exchange for rights such as Rodriguez’s name and image in licensed goods. The team is arguing that nobody will be lining up to pay for these goods and merchandise, and they are right, and may flat out refuse to pay and break the contract.

This is going to get ugly and this will head to an arbitrator after a grievance is filed. Yay, another summer of the Bronx is Burning Part III. 

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Will Pay A Rods $6 Million

The New York Yankees are strong arming Alex Rodriguez right now over his $6 million bonus he will get if and when he hits six more home runs to tie Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. New York will talk a big game but the MLBPA will not allow him to not get paid what was agreed to in his contract. He will get is $6 million if he hits six more home runs.

Vote in our prediction poll from knoda. 

A Rod Drops Appeal, Will Not Attend Spring Training

Alex Rodriguez has announced that he will drop his appeal and lawsuits from his 162 game suspension and will accept his season long suspension and move on. A Rod has dropped both lawsuits against Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, accepting his faith and the decision of arbitrator Frederic Horowitz. A Rod has also announced that he will not be attending Spring Training camp this season, which is not bad news that's for sure.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association each released their politically correct responses to the news today and they can be seen below:

MLB: “We have been informed that Alex Rodriguez has reached the prudent decision to end all of the litigation related to the Biogenesis matter. We believe that Mr. Rodriguez’s actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow Major League Players. We share that desire.”

MLBPA:  “Alex Rodriguez has done the right thing by withdrawing his lawsuit. His decision to move forward is in everyone’s best interest.”

MLBPA Members Want To Kick Alex Rodriguez Out

On January 13, 40 members of the MLB Players Association met on a conference call and the topic was Alex Rodriguez and trying to oust him from the union. The quotes coming from Yahoo Sports and Jeff Passan and Tim Brown are absolutely disgusting. See below and see the original article HERE:

"We wanted to get on this call and not let him back. 'This is our game and we don't want you in it."'

[Alex]  "needs to be scared of coming back and facing people he sued."



I am going to try and stay in the middle here but come on, really? The players association members want to kick Alex out of the union? Why not just kick him out of baseball? That's called collusion, something that is illegal in the game of baseball. I wonder why the MLBPA couldn't kick him out, by their own words they could not do it legally. I wonder if this has more to do with the recent lawsuit against the MLBPA for their lack of support in his Biogenesis appeal and less to do with his "repeated PED use" that has never caused him to fail a test. I hate to say witch hunt, it's not a witch hunt, it's just a petty back and forth game going on and it's giving the game and everyone involved, including the fans, a bad name.

Tacopina Says "God Like" PED Users Are In Boston

Joe Tacopina told @ESPN_Colin he did not want to name other players accused of PED use, "but some of them are God-like in Boston right now."
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) January 14, 2014

In case you missed it and have been living under two rocks in the past week or so Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 162 games and essentially lost his appeal with Frederic Horowitz and Major League Baseball. Now he is taking it to court suing both the MLB and the MLB Players Association trying to get the ruling overturned or reduced. While he is waiting for that to play out we may have the makings of another Jose Canseco on our hands...

Alex's lawyer Joe Tacopina was on Colin Cowherd's ESPN show today and foreshadowed a possible outing of other PED users. Tacopina subtly suggested that some of the current PED users are "god like" players playing in Boston. Immediately David Ortiz comes to mind as well as Dustin Pedroia, more likely the former than the latter obviously, with a few other possibilities. This is about to get really REALLY fun I have a feeling.

Here is the quote from Tacopina:

Joe Tacopina told @ESPN_Colin he did not want to name other players accused of PED use, “but some of them are God-like in Boston right now.”

A Rod's Latest Lawsuit In It's Entirety Right Here

Read the entire case that Alex Rodriguez is bringing against Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association by clicking THIS LINK. If you dare anyway because it is a 77 page PDF file that I have zero intent on reading all the way through. If I did though I am sure it would include all the normal predictable stuff. The MLBPA didn't go to bat for me, Bud Selig is out to get me, I never did steroids, blah blah blah. Check it out if you dare.

A Rod To Sue MLB And MLBPA Next

Alex Rodriguez has been sue happy all offseason long and is far from done as it was announced that he would be taking Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to court to try and get his suspension overturned. Alex disagrees with the fact that he used banned substances at least three times and tried to impede the investigation twice.

MLBPA Not Happy About Tonight's 60 Minutes

"This interview is bull...!"

Not long before the 60 Minutes episode regarding the suspension of Alex Rodriguez, the Major League Baseball Player's Association released the following statement:

It is unfortunate that Major League Baseball apparently lacks faith in the integrity and finality of the arbitrator’s decision and our Joint Drug Agreement, such that it could not resist the temptation to publicly pile-on against Alex Rodriguez. It is equally troubling that the MLB-appointed Panel Arbitrator will himself be appearing in the “60 Minutes” segment, and that Tony Bosch, MLB’s principal witness, is appearing on the program with MLB’s blessing. 

MLB’s post-decision rush to the media is inconsistent with our collectively-bargained arbitration process, in general, as well as the confidentiality and credibility of the Joint Drug Agreement, in particular. After learning of tonight’s “60 Minutes” segment, Players have expressed anger over, among other things, MLB’s inability to let the result of yesterday’s decision speak for itself. As a result, the Players Association is considering all legal options available to remedy any breaches committed by MLB. 

Throughout this process the Players Association has repeatedly shown it is committed to an effective drug program that is strong and fair. And as we indicated in our statement yesterday, although we do not agree with the arbitrator’s decision, we respect the process and will act accordingly. We believe the other involved parties should do the same.

I'd like to think this is a network trying to use this big news event to create ratings, and that they did so by pulling in Anthony Bosch and not so much MLB or Fredric Horowitz (the arbiter that made the final decision on the suspension). After all, that's what we were led to believe earlier when the interview was first announced. But, according to MLBPA, MLB had quite a bit to do with the interview. If that turns out to be true, then it'll be another black eye to the league, as going there is pretty lame. Especially so soon after the decision was made.

If you're able to see the interview live, then great. I'm really looking forward to it myself. However if you're going to miss it, or would simply like to hear an opinion on it, then check back here soon afterwards.

Home Plate Collisions Have Been Banned In MLB

MLB has now decided to eliminate home-plate collisions at home plate, meaning, players must slide going into home.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2013

According to Bob Nightengale on Twitter a Joe Torre and Sandy Alderson led MLB Rules Committee have ruled that home plate collisions are no longer allowed in Major League Baseball. MLB has gone as far as to say there will be fines, suspensions, and penalties for home plate collisions in 2014, sounds like MLB is getting serious about this. The players and their union must approve of the deal for it go into affect for the 2014 season and if that does not happen it will be 2015 before the rule is officially in play. I cannot see a situation where the players do not approve the deal though so expect this to be in place by the beginning of the season.