If the MLBPA does end up organizing its own spring training for players who remain unsigned, some of the top free agents on the market will not be attending.
On Thursday, Scott Boras told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that he is not planning to send any of his clients to a free agent camp.
Scott Boras has no plans to send his clients to a proposed free agent camp. "Boras Corp has two sport fitness institutes with diamonds, cages and weight facilities,'' he said. "We have resources and staffing to make sure our players are prepared when they reach agreements.''
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 8, 2018
At this point, it seems like the MLBPA spring training would be more of a leverage play than anything. Players want to prove they can continue to remain in shape and keep their games sharp as if they were preparing for the upcoming season, but Boras apparently feels his clients don’t need to do it that way. Pitchers and catchers are set to report for spring training with most teams next week, with the first spring training game on Feb. 23.
The MLBPA has accused teams of conspiring to lower the market value of free agents, while teams are blaming people like Boras for so many top players remaining unsigned.
