The relationship between MLB teams and the MLB Players Association appears to be as strained as ever following another relatively quiet free agency, and there is no symbol of the divide between the two sides that is stronger than “The Belt.”
As Marc Carig of The Athletic discovered, representatives from all 30 MLB teams get together for a conference at a luxury hotel after each season in which they discuss the state of salary arbitration. After the meeting ends, an actual replica championship belt is awarded to the team that was best able to “achieve the goals set by the industry.” As Carig describes it, that basically means the team that did the most to keep arbitration salaries down.
MLB teams consider “The Belt” nothing more than recognition for a job well done in an area that can be complicated and difficult to navigate. They acknowledged its existence in a statement and said it is “an informal recognition of those club’s salary arbitration departments that did the best.” However, it is clear players are not thrilled with the state of arbitration and the way the league is handling it.
According to Carig, players and their agents feel teams are making an effort to seize control of the arbitration process using their strength in numbers as well as what’s referred to as the “file-and-trial policy.” That is where teams cut off talks with arbitration-eligible players after January. Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh says it’s a way for teams to “artificially lower salaries” by refusing to negotiate after a certain date.
“They really put an ultimatum on a player: You have to agree with us. And if you don’t, we’re going to take you to trial. And when we go to trial, we’re going to have the backing of a $10 billion dollar industry,” McHugh said.
The MLB and MLBPA have pulled no punches when discussing the state of free agency, but the existence of “The Belt” helps illustrate how deep the issues run. One player told The Athletic he is “ready to strike tomorrow” because of the perceived uneven playing field, and many believe a work stoppage is coming at some point.
