Via BBTF, former MLBPA executive Gene Orza clearly spells out the problem the players face:
In 1985 there was a two-day strike. The issue was management’s desire to raise the eligibility for salary arbitration from two seasons’ experience to three. The union didn’t want to give up that year.
It was hard for Orza and company to hold the membership together. The most senior players, the backbone of the union, did not see how fighting over that one year of arbitration eligibility was in their interest.
“Certain players were actually going around to clubhouses against our wishes, saying, ‘Guys, do you really want to go on strike over salary arbitration?’ ” Orza said.
So the union surrendered the extra year. And then . . .
“Starting in the 1986 offseason, I started getting calls from all of these mid-level free agents,” said Orza. “[Guys] who aren’t getting offers, who aren’t getting jobs. Who eventually left the game. And they couldn’t understand why.
“And I had to explain to them: That what we had done in ’85 is, we made people who had two to three years of service much more valuable to the clubs. Because they could get the same [type of] player, but much cheaper now, ‘cause the [two- to three-year guys] didn’t have any [arbitration] rights.
“The number of players from zero years of service to three years of service in 1987 was 28.4 percent higher than the numbers of players in that same category in 1985. Where did those additional players come from? The guys whose jobs they were taking were the very guys who didn’t see how [the] fate of the salary-arbitration eligibles [affected] them.”
Orza sees a similarity today.
“What’s happening now is the Players Association has made young players, very young players, extremely attractive to clubs.”
The players thought that if the owners were forced to spend less money on amateurs, the saved money would be spent on arbitration eligible players and free agents. That didn’t happen. It’s time for the players to reverse this direction, and ask for more freedom for everyone. Fewer years to free agency, no qualifying offers, no draft, no amateur caps. Let players be paid what they deserve always.
I had a conversation in ~2010 with a friend that had recently made his Major League debut. He was never a prospect and already 27 years old; he ended up playing parts of three seasons on a Major League roster, thus never coming close to arbitration, much less free agency. Somehow our conversation turned to the Union and the main thing the was focused on was a salary cap. I tried to point out that a salary cap had basically no impact on him, and he should instead be focused on ways to get more money to guys on the 40-man roster (but not on the 25-man) and to those with less than 3 years of service time. He agreed that would be nice, but didn’t see how union leadership (ie, other players) would choose to focus on it since they view this as ‘paying your dues’ just like they had done. As always, people tend to protect their own interests over those of people that will be in their situation later.
Orza mentions the giveaway that occured right before the collusion years. Obviously making younger players more valuable can be counterproductive, but more important it seems to be that such giveaways in a CBA, and the 2016 CBA was a giveaway, may be seen as weakness in the union that MLB owners then try to exploit
They are being smarter about it than 1986-1988
Orza also makes a good point about experience in the union and institutional memory. One thing I recall from the CBA negotiations is agents claiming that unlike previous CBA negotiations their input was not sought. Many of These agents have been around a long time. Tony C blew it.
Another point Orza makes is how hard it is to get something back once you have given it. To fix the problem MLBPA is going to have to prepare to strike. They also have to give something up.
One thing they can give up are guaranteed contracts for players 35 and over (10% buybout). Players can still sign deals begond age 35 but teams can buy them out at 10%. Bad contracts are also not good for players other than the one with then contract.
In return players should get FA for all after age 28 season (earlier under current rules). Expanded rosters or expansion. Increased minimum salaries tied to revenue growth. Eliminate FA tax on teams who sign QO FA. Increased LT threshold tied to revenue growth. Penalize teams who finish under 500 for 5 consecutive years with revenue sharing forfeiture for 3 years