MLB investigating whether Mets, Yankees communicated improperly on Aaron Judge.

[OhSoSlick]

Per Ken Rosenthal from the athletic

Major League Baseball is investigating whether comments attributed to Mets sources about the team’s reluctance to pursue free-agent outfielder Aaron Judge constitute a violation of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement.

An article published on the Mets’ television network’s web site Nov. 3 said the Mets would not bid against the Yankees for Judge. Details in the story caught the attention of the Players Association, which asked the Commissioner’s Office to investigate whether improper communication occurred between the respective owners of the clubs, according to sources briefed on the situation profile bidding war.”

Officials from MLB and the Players Association declined to comment, and the Mets, Yankees and Astros did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Three times in the late 1980s, independent arbitrators ruled the owners worked together to avoid bidding competitively on free agents. A settlement of the three cases resulted in the owners agreeing to pay the players $280 million. The players later alleged the owners also engaged in collision in 2002 and 2003, and the owners agreed to pay the players $12 million without an admission of guilt as part of the 2006 CBA." Crane said of Verlander. “He’s looking at the comp, which I think there’s only one or two … J.V.’s probably got a few years left, and he wants to make the most of it. I think he’s going to test the market on that.”

In theory, Crane’s remarks could scare off potential suitors for Verlander, depressing his market. Crane has assumed a greater role in baseball operations since the Astros were penalized in Jan. 2020 for illegal electronic sign stealing, according to sources familiar with his operation of the club. The team is currently without a GM following Crane’s decision last Friday to part with James Click

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