New contracts and the Mitchell report

[jfg]

I saw some people talking about this in the Guillen thread. Do you think there is language in new contracts that void the contract if their name turns up? Or is baseball going to void all existing contracts on the list? That seems like it would be a mess.

[Lofunzo]

I saw some people talking about this in the Guillen thread. Do you think there is language in new contracts that void the contract if their name turns up? Or is baseball going to void all existing contracts on the list? That seems like it would be a mess.

I have wondered about this as well and think that they might change the language but what can they really do?? Can they suspend someone that might not have failed a drug test?? I don't think so.

[jfg]

Yeah me either. I think they are going to have a huge mess on their hands when that report comes out. I guess it all depends on how the public reacts but from what we've seen in the past the public isn't going to be very happy.

[Tavish]

Most GMs have indicated that the pending Mitchell Report won't affect their decisions in the free agent market. That leads me to either assume that they are putting some sort of compensation clause into the contracts or that they don't expect the league to take any disciplinary action against the outed players.

[noseeum]

They won't be able to do anything. It's buyer beware. If Yanks couldn't seek any compensation from Giambi who was caught red handed confessing, then there's nothing anyone else can do.

[StarsNPinstripes]

As was mentioned earlier, Jason Giambi admitted steroid use and the Yankees,who were rumored to be looking into voiding his contract, had no recourse.I think the same applies to other clubs.

[jfg]

True, but what do you think might be in contracts being put together this offseason? Or, is language like that not allowed in contracts?

[noseeum]

True, but what do you think might be in contracts being put together this offseason? Or, is language like that not allowed in contracts?

There already is some standard language in the contracts, and there always has been, but the view from the player's association has always been that it's not enforceable because the labor agreement supercedes any individual contract. So far the owners haven't been willing to try to refute that, and believe me, they're not going to use the Mitchell report to do so. The primary motivation is still to get this stuff wrapped up ASAP so they all can move on. A labor war would not help.

[jfg]

Good point.

[Lofunzo]

Yeah me either. I think they are going to have a huge mess on their hands when that report comes out. I guess it all depends on how the public reacts but from what we've seen in the past the public isn't going to be very happy.

I forgot to add that. They will be prosecuted in the court of public opinion but probably not MLB court.