MLBPA files grievance over signing deadline

Aug 28, 2008 - 1:10 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance on Wednesday, claiming the terms of the collective bargaining agreement were violated when Major League Baseball unilaterally extended the signing deadline for draft picks.

The news comes after Pittsburgh Pirates' rookie Pedro Alvarez - the No. 2 pick in the draft - was placed on the restricted list after he refused to sign his contract. He told the team he would not report unless they would renegotiate the deal.

Alvarez's agent Scott Boras contends that the deal, which will pay his client a $6 million signing bonus, is invalid because he did not agree upon it before the 11:59 p.m. EDT deadline. However, the Commissioner's Office extended the deadline without alerting teams, which prompted the filing of the grievance.

In a statement, Players Association general counsel Michael Weiner said the union hopes to have a hearing on the matter as soon as September 10.

The union also contested that teams demanded the firm August 15 deadline in 2006 during collective bargaining agreement negotiations and were stunned when they learned of the change just hours prior to the deadline.

"This was done without notice to or consultation with the Players Association, despite a firm deadline having been established through collective bargaining," the statement said. "The Players Association, after discussions with the Commissioner's Office, players, agents and other parties, viewed it necessary to file a grievance challenging this plainly unlawful unilateral act by the Commissioner's Office."

For his part, Pirates president Frank Coonelly claimed Alvarez's deal is valid and that Boras had no qualms about it when his client signed.

"This claim was not raised on the evening of the 15th, when we informed Mr. Boras that Major League Baseball had confirmed that the contract was submitted in a timely fashion," Coonelly said in a statement. "Mr. Boras asserted this claim several days later, after all of the draft signings had become publicized."