The Florida Marlins have foolishly gotten the attention of the Players Association.
The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance in September against theMarlins over how they pay rehabbing players.
At least 13 players over the past five seasons stand to collect additional per diem and reimbursements for lodging while rehabilitating from injuries at the club's minor league complex in Jupiter. One agent with knowledge of the case said the total sum could reach six figures.---
"There are 29 teams and then there are the Marlins," the agent said. "They do it a different way on many different things. It's come back to roost through Players Association inquires and agents doing random audits of what's happening to guys, and all of us putting our heads together and realizing this is more than one deal. This is organizational fraud."
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The Collective Bargaining Agreement specifies that disabled players not traveling on the road with the team should receive "the full allowance if he is residing at a hotel or motel in either the metropolitan area of the club, or one to which the player has gone at the request of the club."
Part of the grievance stems from the Marlins giving injured players per diem only when the team is on the road and not at home.
Another issue is housing expenses. The Marlins cover local hotel stays, but players who are facing a protracted rehab and decide to rent apartments in or near Jupiter do so on their own dime.
Anyway, read to whole thing if you care to, but what it amounts to is that the Marlins are being cheap with the injured players.
What a surprise.