NEW YORK — The players' union
filed a grievance against the New York Mets and the commissioner's
office on Wednesday, protesting how the team has handled Francisco
Rodriguez since he was injured in a fight at Citi Field.
The Major League Baseball Players
Association is challenging the Mets' decision to place the
record-setting closer on the disqualified list and their effort to
convert his contract to a non-guaranteed deal.
If the case isn't settled, arbitrator
Shyam Das would decide whether the team's actions were justified. No
hearing date has been set.
"We disagree with the position of the
Players Association," the Mets said in a statement. "We believe our
action was justified and appropriate."
Rodriguez was placed on the
disqualified list Tuesday, six days after he tore a ligament in the
thumb of his pitching hand while punching his girlfriend's father
outside a family lounge at New York's second-year ballpark. The
right-hander had surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss the rest of the
season.
The Mets have said Rodriguez won't be
paid while on the disqualified list and they would exercise a
contractual right to convert the rest of his $37 million, three-year
deal to non-guaranteed, meaning they could try to avoid paying most of
what's left on it.
The move by the players' association
was expected. Union leader Michael Weiner said in an e-mail to The
Associated Press on Tuesday that the team's actions were "without
basis."
Rodriguez, a four-time All-Star, was
arrested and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree
harassment following the fight. He was released on his own recognizance
and is due back in court Sept. 14.
By going on the disqualified list,
Rodriguez will lose $3,016,393 of his $11.5 million salary this year.
Added to the $125,683 he lost when the Mets put him on the restricted
list for two days last week, the altercation already has cost him
$3,142,076.
In addition, by converting his
contract to non-guaranteed, the Mets gave themselves the ability to
release Rodriguez in the early part of spring training next year for 30
days' termination pay. That would mean paying $1,885,246 rather than his
$11.5 million salary next year. They still likely would owe the $3.5
million buyout attached to the $17.5 million club option for 2012 that's
included in his deal.