Pirates notebook: Union chief Clark closely monitoring revenue sharing
BRADENTON, Fla. — Players' Association chief Tony Clark said the union is keeping tabs on how each MLB team spends its revenue-sharing money.
“There's a lot of interest and a lot of eyeballs that are watching how and where money goes,” Clark said Saturday. “We are always concerned that the dollars are being used effectively to benefit the team on the field. There's a discussion ... about what constitutes improving (the team).”
In the past, the union has voiced concerns that some teams, including the Pirates, were not following the revenue-sharing guidelines. Clark did not say if the Pirates were still under close scrutiny.
“There may be teams that are of interest early that may not be late because of considerations that are being made,” Clark said. “There may be some that we may have concerns about going into future years as a result of some of the things that may be trending on the front end.
“As with anything else, we watch quite a bit. We'll continue to watch.”
Clark spoke with reporters during a visit to Pirates spring training camp. In a closed-door meeting, he updated the players on ongoing negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA expires in December.
“We are cautiously optimistic ... that we can find a fair and equitable deal for everybody,” Clark said.
Pitchers set
Left-hander Kyle Lobstein will work the first two innings on Tuesday in the Grapefruit League opener against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Wilfredo Boscon (two innings), Neftali Feliz, Curtis Partch, Rob Scahill and Trey Haley (one apiece) also are scheduled to pitch.
Lefty Matt Boyd will start for the Tigers, followed by Michael Fulmer, Kyle Ryan, Angel Nesbitt and non-roster invitee Logan Kensing.
Wednesday, lefty Jeff Locke will start against the Tigers at McKechnie Field. Locke and Juan Nicasio each will toss two innings. Jared Hughes, Arquimedes Caminero, Ryan O'Flaherty and Jorge Rondon will work one inning each.
Around the horn
Manager Clint Hurdle, who is a University of Michigan fan, invited Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh to speak to the Pirates before Wednesday's game. The Tigers have asked Harbaugh to serve as their first base coach for one inning. Michigan is holding part of its spring drills at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. ... Hurdle said third baseman Jung Ho Kang's rehab from leg surgery is “ahead of the schedule that we set up” but did not elaborate.
Rob Biertempfel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.
