MLB's very bad week: Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal, union civil war before Opening Day
TEMPE, Ariz. — This is the time we’re supposed to be counting down the days – even the hours – to the pageantry and thrill of Opening Day.
It’s the time we overreact to everything that transpires in the season openers, assuming trends will carry over for the next six months.
You win you’re a World Series contender. You lose, it's “Wait 'Til Next Year."
These days, well, who could blame Major League Baseball for wishing it could extend spring training another week or two to end the swirling scandals, drama and controversy that engulfed the sport this past week.
You have the greatest player in the game, Shohei Ohtani, now ensnared in a gambling scandal thanks to his interpreter.
You have the most powerful union in sports, if not the world, having its leadership principles and skills suddenly questioned by players and agents.
You have some of baseball’s most celebrated players left taking contracts that could barely cover Ippei Mizuhara’s gambling debt.
Who ever imagined baseball’s greatest drama would come the last days of spring training, bleeding into Opening Day, instead of October?
“It’s embarrassing what’s happening right now," one prominent player agent told USA TODAY Sports. “This is supposed to be a great time, getting ready for the season, and we’re going through this. It’s ugly."
Certainly, nothing is more damaging to the sport than the gambling scandal involving Ohtani and Mizuhara, with MLB now launching an official investigation while the federal government is seeking answers.
“The reason baseball is so concerned is that even with this big shift towards gambling," former agent Leigh Steinberg says, “is the one thing that can damage professional sports is the perception of by fans that the games are not played on an even playing field, and that the games are fixed.
“I’m sure there will be a million conspiracy theories that will be passed around, but often times the truth will be simpler. This is just the beginning."
Major League Baseball, along with other sports, opened this Pandora’s Box by embracing gambling. They routinely show betting lines on their own TV network with betting shows and game announcers letting you know the live odds.
Managers and teams are prohibited from sharing their starting lineups until after they're given to the MGM bookmakers.
MLB will have a team playing in Las Vegas in a few years.
Gambling is the reason why MLB wants to implement an automated strike zone within the next two years, one day enabling fans to gamble on each pitch right from their seats.
You walk into any clubhouse, and there are March Madness pools in the spring, fantasy football leagues in the fall, and everything from golf to NASCAR to horse racing pools in the summer.
Baseball officials have an annual spring training meeting telling their players they can only bet legally with their league-sponsored DraftKings or FanDuel, but good luck finding anyone in the game, whether its players, front office executives, clubbies, scouts, broadcasters and player agents who adhere to it.
“You’d be shocked to know how many players and front office people gamble," one team executive said. “It’s so different than the way it used to be. So what’s going on now with Ohtani and his interpreter isn’t surprising at all.
“The only surprise is what took so long for one of these scandals to break."
Let’s be honest here, nothing is going to happen to Ohtani besides a possible fine. His biggest offense may simply be helping out his best friend who has a gambling problem, and knowing that it was illegal to fund his debt going to an illegal bookmaker in Southern California.
Ohtani’s representatives advised Mizuhara to speak to ESPN, at which point he confessed to his gambling addition, and that Ohtani simply was helping him cover his $4.5 million in debts without being involved in gambling himself.
Then, the story completely changed. Suddenly, Mizuhara was saying that Ohtani had zero knowledge of his gambling habits, which turned into Ohtani’s attorneys accusing Mizuhara of stealing Ohtani’s money.
Mizuhara was promptly fired. The conspiracy theories went wild.
And Ohtani’s pristine image, for the moment is taking a beating.
There likely will be a statement from Ohtani and his crisis management team in the next 48 hours, while also declaring that he won’t be able to address the issue again until the investigation is concluded.
Why, without some sort of statement, Dodgers would be engulfed in a three-ring circus that could endanger their rich and talented team, and well, lower their odds of winning the World Series.
Meanwhile, the drama involving the Major League Baseball Players Association is expected to reach a pinnacle in the next few days when players vote whether to oust Bruce Meyer, replacing him with Harry Marino, who spearheaded the unionization of minor league players.
This is the first time in the history of the union that the severity of unrest has been made public with all of the world to hear, and two years away from the next collective bargaining agreement.
“It’s embarrassing that our dirty laundry is hung out there for everyone to know about," one veteran agent said. “This never should have happened. What are we doing?"
Clark and Meyer have generally been praised by players and agents for the current CBA, making significant gains for non-arbitration eligible players, generating a $50 million bonus pool and raising the raising the minimum salary by 30%. They received ovations by many clubhouses during their spring-training tour, and the union was pleased with free-agent spending overall, knowing that it could certainly have been higher if some players accepted a greater guarantee instead of signing contracts with opt-outs.
Meyer, 62, may not have been the warm and fuzzy guy hanging out with players and agents, but he wasn’t out playing golf with commissioner Rob Manfred, either. He was a fierce negotiator who constantly drew the wrath of MLB officials.
“I believe the rivalry between agents and the demonization of players based on who their agent is presents the single biggest challenge to the union’s ability to fulfill its longstanding history of unity and accomplishment,” Meyer said in a lengthy letter to all players, fighting to keep his job. “This is something the league will continue to attempt to exploit so long as it exists, if players allow it.”
No matter his track record, it’s clear that the majority of players – particularly with the bulk of minor leaguers who have personal relationships with Marino – want Meyer out and Marino to replace him.
Tony Clark, executive director of the players association, will not fire Meyer and is incensed at the uproar created by Marino.
Even if the players get their wish, and Meyer is gone, it’s unimaginable to believe that Clark and Marino could possibly work together.
If Meyer is ousted, what prevents Marino from leading a coup to eventually get Clark fired, too?
The easiest transition in this messy time would be if Meyer simply resigns and he goes away quietly, getting paid for the rest of his contract.
If Meyer fights back, Clark may be left with no choice but to fire Meyer, promote someone on his staff like Matt Nussbaum or Ian Penny and then open up a job search for an experienced negotiator.
While there certainly are some agencies that would like to see change (including one that recently was fined $4 million for illegal actions), the majority are furious by Marino’s tactics, who’s leading the charge at the age of 33.
The best bet?
Clark has no choice but to eventually convince Meyer to step down, inform the union that they will conduct a search over the next few months to find a successor, and continue to lead the union.
If not, according to the consensus of agents, it would cost Clark his job, too.
2024 MLB predictions
(Not for illegal gambling purposes)
AL East: Baltimore Orioles
AL Central: Minnesota Twins
AL West: Houston Astros
NL East: Atlanta
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
AL wild cards: Mariners, Yankees, Blue Jays
NL wild cards: Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs
World Series: Baltimore over Atlanta
Awards:
MVP: Bryce Harper (NL), Alex Bregman (AL)
Cy Young: Spencer Strider (NL), Luis Castillo (AL)
Rookie of the Year: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (NL), Jackson Holliday (AL).
Spring training house experience
The Klutch Sports Group agency during spring training rented a seven-bedroom, 8,200-square foot mansion in Scottsdale, which included everything from miniature golf to ping pong to a pool.
They even had a custom sneaker showcase, a suit tailor, cognac tasting with a backstory from Louis XIII, Ferrari test driving and catered dinners featuring wagyu steak.
“It’s about creating new opportunities and experiences for our players,’’ said Chris Koras, head of the Klutch baseball division. “We wanted to give them a chance to bond and create memories outside the lines. We wanted to create a footprint here that would elevate the usual spring training experience, and the feedback has been amazing.’’
Around the basepaths
– The Chicago Cubs and Dodgers have been privately informed they have been selected to open the 2025 season in Tokyo.
The Cubs, who have spring training in Arizona, are expected to return to Arizona after the series and open their domestic season on the West Coast before heading home to Chicago.
– Shohei Ohtani’s annual $70 million salary counts for just $28,231,523 according to MLB’s labor relations department calculations. Ohtani will be paid just $2 million each of the next 10 seasons with $68 million deferred annually.
– The New York Mets, who lost in excess of $200 million last season, easily have the most dead money on the books this season. They are paying $70.3 million for players no longer on their roster.
That’s $10 million more than the Oakland A’s are paying for players who are actually on their active roster this season. Their payroll is $60.9 million.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks have been contacted by several teams who have expressed strong interest in left-handed hitting outfielder Jake McCarthy. The D-backs have rebuffed all attempts so far, but he could be available at some point this summer if they don’t have room for him on their 26-man roster.
– The Philadelphia Phillies are at least internally discussing the possibility of pursuing free agent starter Jordan Montgomery but no decision has been made on whether they plan to contact agent Scott Boras. There’s a renewed sense of urgency with Taijuan Walker opening the season on the injured list with a sore shoulder.
– Rookie Jackson Holliday did everything he could to make the Baltimore Orioles’ opening-day roster by hitting .311 with a .954 OPS, but will open the season in the minors, with GM Mike Elias trying to shoot down theories that the move was designed to manipulate service time.
“It’s unfortunate that we have the specter of that to talk about,” Elias told reporters. “I think this is about an organization that prides itself on developing elite talents, putting a player in the best position for his own long-term success and for the short- and long-term success of the team and the roster that he’s on.”
Remember, Holliday can still gain a full year of service if he finishes first or second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting, and the Orioles would not be rewarded with a draft pick since he didn’t make the opening-day roster.
– Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who signed a 2-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants last week, should be ready to be in the rotation by their first homestand against the Padres, his former team, beginning April 5.
– The Giants’ pitching staff should be much improved this year simply by the acquisitions of Gold Glove infielders Matt Chapman and Nick Ahmed. The Giants committed a major-league leading 113 errors last season.
– Any concerns the Texas Rangers had about young prized starter Jack Leiter at the start of camp vanished into the night after the way he ended his spring. He should be in the big leagues this season.
– Rangers manager Bruce Bochy echoed what a lot of managers are saying this spring about the newly enforced obstruction rule that prohibits infielders not in possession of the ball to impede the progress of any runner.
“I think they are going to have some arguments,’’ Bochy says, “over this one.’’
– No one had a more impressive spring than 22-year-old rookie Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford, who made their opening-day roster with only 50 games of professional experience.
The kid hit .377 with six homers, 20 RBI and a 1.188 OPS.
– Maybe no one had a more disappointing spring than former Blue Jays All-Star Alek Manoah, who made one disastrous spring-training start, hurt his shoulder, and ended camp pitching at their player development complex.
– The Philadelphia Phillies are on the lookout for a left-handed hitting outfielder.
– The Cincinnati Reds will begin the season with six projected members of their opening-day roster on the IL, including four pitchers (Nick Lodolo, Brandon Williamson, Ian Gibaut and Alex Young).
– The Diamondbacks, who played in perhaps the most dimly lit stadium in baseball, upgraded their lighting with an LED lighting system.
– It was stunning to hear Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm blasting Dodgers shortstop and former teammate Miguel Rojas, who is widely regarded as one of the best clubhouse leaders in the game.
“You can’t be a team leader when you’ve got guys that’s been in the clubhouse that’s been in there nine or 10 years even though they suck," Chisholm said on The Pivot Podcast. “They’ve been there for nine or 10 years and the team calls them the team captain. But they’re not a good captain, they’re not a good person, you’re not even a good athlete at this point. You’re just here and you’re bringing down the young guys that are supposed to be good.”
Chisholm also ripped into former manager Don Mattingly and complained that former owner Derek Jeter refused to intervene in the clubhouse toxicity.
– Louisville Slugger and Traeger partnered to launch maple pellets for wood-fired grilling – from the same wood used to make Louisville Slugger bats.
– Curt Schilling, one of the heroes of the Boston Red Sox’s 2004 World Series championship team, says he won’t attend their home opener to honor Tim and Stacy Wakefield, fearing that he would be a distraction. The Red Sox were infuriated when Schilling publicly revealed the Wakefields were battling cancer last year.
“Let the focus be on ‘04 and Wakey and Stacey,” Schilling wrote on Facebook. “I’ll forever regret what happened but I cannot in good conscience put myself in a position that would detract from the recognition that team and the Wakefields deserve."
– The Dodgers say that Will Ireton, the team's manager of performance operations, will now serve as Ohtani’s interpreter in the wake of Mizuhara’s firing. MLB rules limit teams to having only one interpreter in the dugout during games.
– The Sloan company put up a fancy tent with artificial turf on the ground and had hot dogs and snacks every day with an open bar right outside the Chicago Cubs’ spring-training home – Sloan Park.
It was a popular spot for Cubs officials, former Cubs players and executives, and other corporate sponsors, hosted by Peggy Gilmore, vice president of experiential marketing.
– The D-backs will open the season without veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, whom they paid $80 million in free agency. Rodriguez has a strained lat muscle below his left shoulder and will open the season on the IL.
– Scouts raved about White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet all spring, as he struck out 14 with a 2.13 ERA in five games.
He was rewarded by being named their opening day starter. He’s just the ninth pitcher in the last 110 years to make his first career start on opening day, according to Sarah Langs' research.
The last time Crochet even threw four innings in a game after appearing in 72 games as a reliever for the White Sox?
May 11, 2019, pitching for Tennessee against the Florida Gators.
– San Diego Padres Gold Glove outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. on why the Padres were perhaps the biggest underachievers in baseball history last season:
“I feel like last year we got a little bit too caught up on what could have been,’’ he told San Diego reporters, “instead of focusing every day and playing the game the right way. It was like going out there trying to show star power or something like that.’’
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB's very bad week: Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal before Opening Day
