"We’ve got Snell signing for basically a one-plus-one" - MLBPA rep Jack Flaherty cites free agency as 'glaring issue' behind union unrest

Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty, one of eight members of MLBPA’s executive subcommittee, has broken his silence on the growing mutiny inside the players’ union.

According to The Athletic, the unrest began on Monday, when representatives of major and minor league players confronted executive director Tony Clark, urging him to replace deputy director Bruce Meyer with former MLBPA lawyer Harry Marino.

Meyer and Marino reportedly have a frosty relationship that goes back to the time they spent working together on the minor league collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Flaherty spoke to reporters on Tuesday evening and addressed questions about the MLBPA situation. Speaking on why so many players want Marino as the union’s new No. 2, he said (via The Athletic):

“The minor leaguers really appreciated the way he handled their unionization. And so guys have listened and paid attention. As leaders and player reps, your job is to listen to the entire league and, now being all under one union, listen to the guys who are coming next. So that’s our job, and that’s kind of how we’ve come to the point where we did yesterday. ”

Flaherty also shared his thoughts on what could possibly be the key reason for such a huge outcry. While the factors are many, Flaherty believes that the lack of spending by teams, which has contributed to an extremely slow offseason, is behind all the unrest inside the MLBPA. He added:

“But (free agency) is the big, glaring issue that everybody can see. Everybody can see the spending being down.

“We’re in a spot where we’ve got free agents who are still out there, we’ve got Snell signing for basically a one-plus-one. Things are not working out as well as they had the first two years (of the CBA), and guys are trying to figure out, ‘OK, how do we prep for this next one?’”

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MLBPA rep Jack Flaherty says he has been on the phone nonstop for 3-4 days

Blake Snell, whose initial asking price was reportedly a nine-year deal worth $270 million, ended up joining the Giants on a two-year, $62 million deal, with an opt-out after the first year.

Players like Jordan Montgomery and JD Martinez still remain unsigned, while other top clients of Scott Boras like Cody Bellinger, Snell and Matt Chapman signed deals well below what was initially projected, and that too after spring training got underway.

These are only the top-tier names in baseball. There’s a whole other list of free agent players - baseball’s middle class, still awaiting an offer for this season.

According to The Athletic, Jack Flaherty said that he has been on the phone nonstop for three to four days, talking to players and addressing concerns surrounding the state of baseball under the current CBA. He added:

“It’s good to get everybody together and talk things out and figure out what kind of plan you want to work with and which way we want to go. How do we prepare for this so it doesn’t all happen right before?”

The current CBA is due to expire on Dec. 1, 2026.