FORT MYERS, Fla — Friday was "labor day" in Red Sox camp.
Boston became the latest team to get a visit from Michael Weiner, general counsel for the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Weiner is making the rounds in Florida to get players prepped for collective bargaining discussions, which will be in full force by this time next year, as the union and owners attempt to hammer out a new labor agreement before the 2012 season.
Known to many in Boston for sitting alongside David Ortiz in a Yankee Stadium press conference last year after Ortiz's presence on a list of alleged steroid abusers was leaked, Weiner said the Boston visit gives him plenty to address.
"This clubhouse is full of guys very committed to the union, with long histories with the union," Weiner said. "We always get great questions, guys are very interested in understanding."
Among the issues facing players as they enter the final two years of the current collective bargaining agreement, which expires in December 2011: revenue sharing, realignment and, of course, drug testing.
Human Growth Hormone is banned and urine tests are used to catch culprits, but Weiner insists that the issue of blood testing remains up in the air. Until science can find a foolproof test, something Weiner disputes has been done, the union cannot agree.
"I know the Olympic scientists feel very strongly and sincerely about their test, but just this week, I've seen other highly respected scientists question the science behind the test," Weiner said. "When there is a test and scientifically sound criteria, I imagine the commissioner's office and the union will give that serious consideration."
Weiner said there are also issues with blood tests for baseball players due to their constant schedule. With Olympians, who are tested after performances, the blood work has no affect on their physical needs. On the other hand, a baseball player being tested on Saturday night and playing on Sunday afternoon could cause him to face problems on the field.
In a roughly 90-minute session with Red Sox players, Weiner laid out the scenarios of the pending discussions. He indicated that such talks could even begin before spring training 2011 and it is important for players to understand "how the bargaining process will work and what their roles will be."
Weiner also addressed the matter of the leaked names such as Ortiz's. Ortiz was one of the few names released off a list of over 100 alleged abusers from 2003. Weiner has braced against further leaks as the courts wrangle with some legal issues, which prevent him from making too many comments on the topic. He did admit he was "pleased" that there have been no names released since Ortiz's.
Weiner was also asked about the union’s take on players such as Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester, who choose to cancel out arbitration years and a potential splash on the free agent market with long-term deals early in their careers. Does the union look down on players taking supposed hometown discounts?
"We are never disappointed when a player understands his rights and decides how to use those rights," Weiner said. "The rights are there for a player to maximize to take the best offer he can. Sometimes that's getting every dollar that you can get. Sometimes it means staying in a certain city. … I'm happy when a player talks with us. The last thing we say is 'Congratulations. You worked hard and got what you deserve.'"
