Major-league players are becoming increasingly “disgruntled” with the collective bargaining agreement signed last winter, according to Paul Kinzer, a baseball agent who represents MLB players including Edwin Encarnacion.
“I think the further out you go from the agreement, things aren’t turning out well for the players,” Kinzer said on the Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Monday. “I don’t know who you’d point the finger at, but I think the players are disgruntled at this point.”
Kinzer, the head of Rep1 Baseball, said the competitive balance tax has discouraged teams like the Yankees from spending as much as they otherwise would. While he stopped short of accusing teams of collusion, Kinzer did suggest that they’re operating in notably similar ways.
“You meet with a lot of teams and it’s funny how a lot of the numbers you’re being offered seem to line up,” he said.
Asked about MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, Kinzer said in general terms that players are “very frustrated.”
Many agents have spoken out against ownership this off-season, including Scott Boras and Brodie Van Wagenen. Boras has called out owners for their willingness to field non-competitive teams, while Van Wagenen hinted at collusion and raised the possibility of a spring training boycott in a strongly-worded message Friday.
