NEW YORK — Two days into the free agent market, the players’ association already is angry at a club.
Union head Tony Clark issued a statement Wednesday in response to remarks attributed to Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos during a conference call with media.
“Every day you get more information. And we’ve had time to connect with 27 of the clubs — obviously the Astros and (Nationals) being in the World Series, they were tied up — but we had a chance to get a sense of what the other clubs are going to look to do in free agency, who might be available in trades,” Anthopoulos said, according to the union.
Baseball’s labor contract prohibits clubs from acting in concert in free agent negotiations. The union filed a collusion grievance following the 2017-18 offseason.
“The statements made by Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos call into the question the integrity of the entire free-agent system,” Clark said in a statement Wednesday. “The clear description of club coordination is egregious, and we have launched an immediate investigation looking into the matter.”
