Tony Clark and Players Association “OK” with Yankees Spending Spree

Dec 5, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; (left to right) Yankees general Brian Cashman, president Randy Levine, newly acquired catcher

and his wife Ashley McCann, and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner during press conference to introduce new catcher Brian McCann at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Tony Clark, the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, met with a group of reporters in Tampa, Florida on Monday. As Spring Training games officially begin Clark was asked about the busiest team this off-season, the New York Yankees, and their heavy spending. “We always like to see clubs making decisions that they inevitably feel are going to help them be the last team standing,” Clark said to the crowd of reporters. “Obviously the Yankees are a special group, and them continuing to make decisions that they hope are going to have them be the last team standing, we always enjoy seeing .” It looks like that Clark finds the Yankees spending to be good for the game and can’t see an issue in the Yankees improving their team by spending half a billion dollars on free agents. Why would he? The union’s purpose is to better the well being of the player and nothing does that better than a big fat check. So the Yankees spending is 100% beneficial to the union and it’s no wonder why he’s okay with it.

The Yankees signed four top-level free agents in catcher Brian McCann (5-years $85 million), outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury (7-years $153 million) and Carlos Beltran (3-years $45 million) and pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (7-years $155 million). It’s made the team better and makes the game of baseball better in the process. When the Yankees are winning, and winning with stars, the teams they visit see a bump in ticket sales at their ballpark. Fans want to see the Yankees play and they want to see a competitive game. With a lackluster minor league system, the Yankees improve their team by buying big players. Tony Clark should love this off-season’s spending spree by the Yankees because it helps union members make money and definitely helps improve the game’s revenue.