• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 30, 2025

MLB Union’s Top Negotiator Denies Being a Scott Boras Lackey

  • The union has been accused, for years, of giving preferential treatment to Boras.
  • The players have no hard evidence for their accusations of favoritism.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Spring finally arrived this week, and maybe no one is happier than Scott Boras, who had one of the most publicly trying winters of his legendary career as an MLB agent.

First, his clients flailed on the open market, and a marquee one, Jordan Montgomery, remains unsigned with Opening Day less than a week away. Then the MLB Players Association was rocked by unusually public claims that its lead negotiator was merely a puppet of Boras. That negotiator recently headed to the keyboard in an attempt to keep his job. 

Bruce Meyer, the deputy director of the MLBPA, emailed the players a SparkNotes of his achievements in an attempt to push back on the critics calling for his job, in a 2,200-word message published in The Athletic on Friday morning

A fight has been boiling over in the MLBPA in public this week, with a group of players reportedly calling for executive director Bruce Meyer to be replaced with upstart lawyer Harry Marino. Meyer negotiated the last collective bargaining agreement, while Marino, a former minor player, was instrumental in unionizing the minors and recently left the MLBPA. Marino is nearly three decades younger than Meyer, who is 62.

The pro-Marino faction has accused Meyer of being in the tank for Boras. Boras represents more players than any other agent—including many prominent ones such as Pete Alonso, Max Scherzer, and the recently signed Blake Snell—and has drawn the ire of his peers and the league office throughout his career. 

Boras’s aggressive negotiating style has been a pain in MLB owners’ side for decades, and his results have made it tough for his peers to compete with him when pursuing the same client. His opponents in the union fight are saying out loud what has been whispered for years: Boras pushes for economic structures that favor his premium clients over the game’s much larger middle and lower classes.

“From the moment I was hired, if not before, MLB began demonizing me both privately and publicly,” Meyer wrote in a letter reviewed by The Athletic. “Among other things, one of their strategies was to spread the lie that I had been somehow hired at the behest of Scott Boras and was therefore beholden to him. This lie, which has taken many forms over the years, was a calculated (and time-honored) management strategy. To state unequivocally: At the time I was hired I had never in my life met or even spoken to Scott Boras.”

In 2021, Meyer called the Boras allegations “absurd.” On Tuesday, Boras called Marino’s attempted takeover “a coup.” 

Meyer’s fate still hangs in the balance, which means the drama could continue into Opening Day and beyond if it remains unresolved. The veteran lawyer argued in his letter that the real change needed, if players wanted a better deal from owners, wasn’t from union leadership but within the union itself. “Anyone selling to players the notion that they have the unique ability to get major gains from MLB without the prospect of a work stoppage is selling a fantasy, as borne out by the entire nearly 60 year history of this union,” he wrote.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detailed view of the basketball sneakers worn by Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.

Skechers Sued Over Allegedly Sketchy Go-Private Deal

The footwear giant agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital for $9.4 billion.

Steve Cohen Taps USTA’s Lew Sherr to Reshape Mets Off Field

The MLB club hires a top executive from the U.S. Tennis Association.

Featured Today

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.

MSG Tickets for Potential Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Start at $1,100

The current get-in price for a potential Game 7 is $1,099.
Sha'Carri Richardson
May 29, 2025

Sha’Carri Richardson Enters Track Start-Up Fray With Alexis Ohanian

Richardson headlines a group of “advisor owners” with equity in the league.
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) injures left shoulder whilte attempt to steal second base in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.
May 29, 2025

Yankees-Dodgers Clash Draws TV Spotlight, Sky-High Prices

The teams’ lone regular-season series features three nationally aired games.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 29, 2025

Panthers Clinch Stanley Cup Final Appearance, Stir Up Dynasty Talk

The Panthers clinched a third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
May 29, 2025

NCAA Exploring March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams in 2026

NCAA president Charlie Baker said March Madness discussions are ongoing.
Softball
May 29, 2025

MLB Makes Eight-Figure Investment in New Softball League 

Athletes Unlimited and Major League Baseball announced the deal Thursday morning.
May 25, 2025; MONACO; McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates with a trophy on the podium after winning the Monaco Grand Prix alongside third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri and McLaren chief executive Zak Brown at Circuit de Monaco.
May 28, 2025

F1’s Monaco GP Draws Third-Largest U.S. Audience Amid Track Criticisms

F1 will race in Monaco until at least 2031.