MLB teams won't sign players they don't want to pay for...

quote:

---

A prominent Major League Baseball agent said Friday that a "fight is brewing" over the lack of free-agent activity in the game this offseason, and said a spring training boycott might be on the horizon if teams don't begin signing players soon.

Agent Brodie Van Wagenen of Creative Artists Agency stopped short of using the word "collusion" but said the behavior of owners "feels coordinated, rightly or wrongly." "There is a rising tide among players for radical change," Van Wagenen said in a Twitter post Friday. "A fight is brewing. And it may begin with one, maybe two, and perhaps 1,200 willing to follow. A boycott of spring training may be a starting point, if behavior doesn't change.

"Bottom line, the players are upset. No, they are outraged. Players in the midst of long-term contracts are as frustrated as those still seeking employment. Their voices are getting louder and they are uniting in a way not seen since 1994."

"Many club presidents and general managers with whom we negotiate are frustrated with the lack of funds to sign the plethora of good players still available, raising further suspicion of institutional influence over the spending," Van Wagenen said in his statement. "Even the algorithms that have helped determine player salaries in recent years are suggesting dramatically higher values than owners are willing to spend."

---