Pedro Alvarez saga not ending anytime soon

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 10, 2008 8:33 PM CDT Comment 27 comments

The Pedro Alvarez arbitration was scheduled for today, and I figured we'd have a resolution to this shortly. Apparently not:

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was the leadoff witness Wednesday on the first day of testimony in a complicated grievance filed by the players' association after first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez refused to sign his contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Given that Selig was the only witness to complete his testimony and the hearing was recessed until Sept. 23, it appears that barring a settlement, it will be several months before the case is decided.
* * *
Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, and Howard Ganz, an outside lawyer for MLB, made opening statements. Selig completed his testimony before arbitrator Shyam Das and Dan Halem, a labor lawyer for MLB, was in the midst of his direct testimony before the hearing was recessed.

Das has set aside Sept. 23 and 24 for additional testimony. After that, the hearing would resume in October.

The union expects to call additional management officials and present witnesses from the players' side. Management then would get the opportunity to call witnesses, and the lawyers will need several weeks to submit briefs.

Sigh. I'm ready for this story to be done with.

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Hosmer and the Royals

Are the ones getting screwed here.

A bunch of midgets with no arms could pitch better than us. -iorange555

by boomer1 on Sep 10, 2008 9:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If these guys had signed earlier they wouldn't be having a problem right now

I have no sympathy for a guy who holds out until the very last minute over a few hundred thousand dollars when you are already guaranteed millions and you haven’t played an inning of professional baseball yet.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 10, 2008 9:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, how dare they look out for themselves and try to get the best dals they can!

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Sep 11, 2008 3:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Won't someone

please think of the poor team owners?

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen,
und freudenvollere.

by t ball on Sep 11, 2008 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is a couple hundred thousand dollars worth the headache?

Its not like the guy signed for $30,000 and wants more. He signed a 6 million dollar deal when he hasn’t seen a single professional pitch. He could not play an inning of baseball and he will most likely be set for life, barring a Josh Hamilton-esque implosion.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm being facetious above, but

I think the players are stupid and the agent is callous. Not because of money, I think they should try to get as much as they can. But because by holding they may be delaying the start of their career by up to a year. That is insanely stupid and could potentially cost them millions later on. They should be trying to get going as soon as possible. To me, taking a couple hundred thousand less and not delaying the clock is a good bet.

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen,
und freudenvollere.

by t ball on Sep 11, 2008 9:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question

How much would he have gotten if he were a free agent, and could sign with any team?

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 11, 2008 9:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know

How much do you think?

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He asked you first.

by oc on Sep 11, 2008 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know

A guy who has never seen a professional pitch and had a wrist injury this past year. I don’t know. But if he can’t live with 6 million dollars then he should take his vanderbilt degree and go find a job that pays more.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why does it matter one but that he hasn't seen a single pro pitch?

You keep bringing this up and I don’t see how it’s relevant at all.

There are a ton of reasons to hate the way this is going down, but the idea that these darn kids need to shut up and take what they get offered cause they haven’t earned a damn thing yet is confusing to me.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Sep 11, 2008 2:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just my opinion

Just like the NFL and their rookies. Is it fair that jake Long is the highest paid tackle IN THE NFL before he even plays a single snap of pro football? The NBA has it right. Their rookies are under a strict salary scale as rookies. They make plenty of money as rookies but until they prove themselves they don’t get the mega bucks. Granted the NBA and MLB and NFL are complately different leagues in many ways. Roster size, schedule, etc. But to me I hate hearing about these kids holding out trying to force a team to give them more money when they are already offered more than alot of veterans are making.

Pedro Alvarez will make more money than Milton Bradley will this year. How is that right. I fully understand potential and all that but for this kid to hold out until literally the last minute and then agree to a contract that pays him more than one of the Major League batting leaders this year and then saying its not enough is stupid.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll bet you love those Brad Thomas "Sports Biz" ads...

…but seriously, all these kids and their agents are doing is exploiting the system to their best advantage.

When (and if) the union and the owners negotiate a system more like the NBA’s then you will see numbers more to your liking. Until then expect more of the same.

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 11, 2008 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I fully understand that

Doesn’t mean I have to feel sorry for a guy who is being handed 6 million dollars for being good in college or high school but wants more.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Obviously it is fair

Cause it’s what the market dictates.

Your notion that these whippersnappers need to “earn it” strikes as bitterness. “I’ve been a raincoat salesman here for 15 years and now they want to go out and get some hotshot young Harvard MBA graduate to come in here and sell raincoats for twice the salary I get!? I’ve been here for 15 years! That darn kid has never sold a raincoat in his life! I should make more! I should make mooooooooore!”

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Sep 11, 2008 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well said...

…these signing bonuses and the negotiations that go along with them are a product of the marketplace.

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 11, 2008 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Completely agree

And if I was in their position I would want to get as much as I could. But to agree to a contract that pays you more than most Major league players and then raise a beef because you want maybe 5% more is stupid in my opinion.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 11, 2008 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh

I don’t really feel bad for the Pirates since the draft is a thuroughly anti-Player construct, and the men who are in charge of the pirates were the enforcers of this construct for many years.

While I do think Alvarez shouldn’t have backed out on the agreement, if he believes he is entitled to more money, I have no problems with him raising a rucus.

by FirebatM3 on Sep 11, 2008 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm really interested to learn exactly what went on here

Cause from the rumblings I keep hearing it sounds a bit more complex than “he decided it wasn’t enough money and decided to throw a hissy fit”. I mean, the players union filed the grievance, right? I wonder what really happened.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Sep 11, 2008 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He was given an extension

which apparently isn’t allowed. Hosmer and Borbon apparently also got extensions, as well as Aaron Crow even though he didn’t sign. That would mean that Alvarez didn’t agree by the deadline, so he would be back in the 2009 draft. Just like Crow is. The first reports made it sound like Boras either wanted the Pirates to offer more money (which I don’t see how they could do that since the deadline is passed) or that Alvarez should be a free agent, which is not going to happen. The only two things I can see happening are Alvarez ends up playing for the Pirates for the $6 million, or he is back in the 2009 draft.

by uthornfan on Sep 11, 2008 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

…the men who are in charge of the pirates were the enforcers of this construct for many years.

What are you talking about? This is Huntington’s first year as GM.

by oc on Sep 11, 2008 8:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Frank Coonelly

is the Pirates president and for several years he was the MLB executive in charge of enforcing the slotting system. This is why he and Scott Boras hate each other and why this whole thing is going down.

by uthornfan on Sep 11, 2008 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs