Last offseason Lucas Duda, Wilmer Flores, and Juan Lagares were asked by the Mets to travel to Michigan to train with Mike Barwis, who has been a strength and conditioning consultant with the Mets since 2011.
This offseason Barwis opened up a new gym on the grounds of the Mets spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. About 30 Mets minor and major leaguers, including David Wright, have trained there with Barwis, according to an article by Tim Rohan of the New York Times.
The main issue with the training facility isn’t anything that Barwis is doing specifically, but rather something that was unearthed a few weeks ago – players are asked to foot the bill themselves, with the club chipping in what amounts to a percentage of the total cost of the training, as well as travel and lodging costs.
The Mets insist that the training is voluntary, but encourage players to participate in Barwis’ training program. Dominic Smith, who trained with Barwis both last year and this, said the Mets told him it “was good for [his] career” when they asked him to attend.
In an interview with Rohan, Sandy Alderson noted that the Mets were subsidizing the training of the players to the tune of approximately $100,000. He also said that the organization didn’t want to pick up the entire tab so that the players would be invested in their training.
“We didn’t cover all the costs because we want the players themselves to be invested in their careers and in their off-season development,” Alderson said to Rohan. “We want them to have something at risk as far as their commitment is concerned.”
The problem here is twofold. Primarily, this is something that is framed as voluntary, but kind of like in the way that politicians claim taxes are voluntary. If you’re asked to go, you’d better voluntarily do it or else.
Whether or not the Mets would actually take retribution for a player declining to train with Barwis is questionable, but this is the same team that just two springs ago publicly criticized Ruben Tejada for showing up on time to spring training instead of early. Not late, on time.
With that kind of admonishment in the not-so-recent past, it’s easy to see how a minor leaguer who is asked to go by the organization might see it as not having a choice to decline, lest he end up in a trade or worse – given the Cesar Puello treatment. One can almost read the newspaper columns decrying the player selfish for not wanting to train with who the Mets want him to train with.
You can call something voluntary all you want, but that doesn’t change that players can easily perceive it as being mandatory in everything but name.
The other problem is embedded in Alderson’s statements. The Mets are not paying the players to train with Barwis for the bogus reasoning that they feel players will be more committed if they are paying.
On some level that is true, you become much more motivated to work out when you are shelling out your own money as opposed to using a free gym. On the other hand, if you’re a major league baseball franchise, you should in theory have the resources to fund offseason training programs for your players, especially when they are team-affiliated and sponsored programs.
Then on top of that, there is absolutely no reason to believe that Alderson is being truthful about the organization’s motivation for not completely subsidizing the program.
Anybody who has ever worked in sports – or any organization that regularly deals with the press – knows that what is made public knowledge and what is actually going on are two totally separate things.
Alderson’s excuse sounds a lot like a convenient cover for, “We’re trying to keep expenditures down by making players share the costs of the training. If we made it free, too many people would go and we couldn’t afford to have that happen.”
It sounds like something that was made up after somebody came up with the idea of having the players pay.
Even if it ends up paying dividends on the field, it just isn’t right.
Thanks for writing this.
My opinion is that there’s not an easy answer to this. It looks really bad from a PR outlook but the reality is the Mets have seven minor league clubs in this country and several more outside the U.S. and why should they be required to pay for offseason workouts for all of these guys? Especially since the majority of them won’t even sniff the majors. And how much “badwill” would be created if they said they would pay for some and not others? Dominic Smith gets a free ride because he’s a top prospect but Patrick Biondi has to pay his own fare? Like they wouldn’t get crucified for that.
To me, this is a little bit like criticizing the MLBPA for not doing more to protect minor league players. It sounds good in theory but once you start looking into the logistics of it all — it’s easy to see why it’s done that way.
Getting back to Barwis – maybe the answer is to have the guy actually be an employee of the club. Than there wouldn’t be the profit incentive of an independent contractor to factor into the equation. The Mets could build their own fitness center and not operate it as a for-profit enterprise.
But that doesn’t work out so nice for Barwis, though, does it? Does this particular individual bring enough to the table that it’s worth not having him be an employee? I don’t know the answer to that question.
Brian why don’t the Mets hire trainers in different parts of the country instead? Say 4 regions where players come come in and train during the off season. How many of these players live in the United States? What are we talking about 100 to 125 players? Don’t professional gyms provide corporate and group discounts? I just shake my head sometimes at the way the front office handles P.R.. It’s truly embarrassing.
Doesn’t this just spread the problem out to multiple locations?
Maybe it has to do with insurance issues why Barwis is not an employee of the team? What would happen if a player was injured during a workout? Also wouldn’t the expenses involved with this program be tax deductible for the Wilpons?
There’s just something morally and ethically wrong with this scenario. We invite you to participate but you have to share in the expenses. How cheap are the Mets? Voluntary? My ass! Until you get to spring training and the team back stabs you for being on time to the press. Ridiculous Joe. The Wilpons treat their players like indentured servants. They’re not allowed to speak to the press unless some one from media relations is there to make sure they don’t bad mouth the owners. It really makes for a desirable place for free agents to come and play for!
Would it not be more practical if you have 30-40 players living in the mid west while another group may be out west not having to travel? If he’s that good I guess you could have large screens in place and have Barwis on Skype. Also the Wilpons don’t have to shell out for the economy class tickets.
Well done Joe. You have raised some very important points.
Fair post. Here’s what I don’t understand, though…
If they’re signaling that it’s mandatory, what happens to the 90% of players in the organization who didn’t attend, but instead pursued their own off-season program? More so, what happens to the 15 guys from the projected 25-man roster who didn’t attend?
How does the franchise penalize ALL of these players?
Perhaps those players were not asked by the organization. Rohan’s article mentions not all players were asked. It could be seen taken as “if we ask you, you had better go”. You’re probably right about the organization not being able to punish 90% of its players, but likely there would only be a handful, if any, that this would impact. More likely it would be just another aggravating factor for a player already in the organization’s bad graces.
Thank you for reading and commenting Matt. I appreciate it.
Thats a great comment. I don’t think they do to a way we can discern. Perhaps its a slowing down of promotions that we cannot see. In any event, we do now at the MLB level, there is clearly punitive action taken for those that don’t do this.
I think we can all agree that these camps are important, although for the life of me, I cannot envision that an elite athlete wouldnt have a rigorous out of season training program. However, making people move to a city and disrupt their family time as little as it is, hide it as voluntary, and make them pay for it is crazy.
Completely agree with you. This kind of unprofessionalism has to stop. They’ve back stabbed their own players and they passive aggressively suggest they come and pay out of pocket voluntarily or face some kind of punishment. You don’t see the Yankees pull this kinda crap for what it’s worth.
I don’t think Colon has too much to worry on that note. Exercising and eating nutritionally are not very high on his list. What if you’re in your walk year like Murphy? Do you risk injury to satisfy your bosses? Parnell is still not 100%. was he invited? Does he get a pass? And what about the players living outside of the United States who are not citizens? Are they required to get a working visa just to attend?
I don’t really understand what the big controversy is. The team is paying for travel and lodging. The players are paying what amounts to a fraction of their yearly salary to attend a voluntary off-season workout program. I can’t remember which prospect it was, maybe Dom Smith, but his father was quoted as saying it’s a pretty good deal. I’ve also seen multiple reports which show the Mets are not the only team to do this. And we haven’t heard a peep of complaint from one single player. I think it’s a whole lotta hot air about nothing.
I somehow doubt a player will complain publicly. But if your boss asked you to “volunteer” in a program would not that make you feel just a bit uncomfortable to say no? And you have to pay a portion of it as well. What if you had a better trainer? Sorry the teams requires you to volunteer and join their workout program.
Well minor leaguers don’t make very much money, so there is the argument that it could be a lot of money to some of them – and they feel pressured to attend.
But even the ones who don’t attend are likely paying something for offseason training – so they’d likely be spending money either way. One of the articles had a quote from a player’s father saying he thought it was a good deal compared to what they usually pay for an offseason trainer.
I confess that I know very little about this topic, but do we know how other teams in the Mets payroll strata handle this? Do the other bottom-thirders cover this for their players, or is it a shared expense?
The Mets-Barwis situation is unique. He’s holding his camp and the Mets facility, but he isn’t actually a Mets employee.
I don’t know of any other teams in that situation. Players typically pay for their own offseason trainers. But they don’t pay to use the team facilities. This is sorta a team organized thing (since it’s at the Mets camp and they ask their players to go), but it’s not fully a team thing since it’s not a requirement, Barwis isn’t a team employee, and the camp is open to non-Mets as well.
All of these players have been attending “voluntary, but highly recommended” training programs, camps and showcases ever since they were in high school or before. And none of them were free. If you are a major league player or prospect and don’t take every opportunity to improve or impress, then so be it and good luck with your career.
The comments that players sharing the cost is somehow “bogus” and about Alderson not being “truthful” in his answer, are unsubstantiated opinions. If other teams pick up the full tab and the Mets don’t then say so. If other clubs do the same then drop the issue because it’s not a story. But do the research first.
exactly
Well, they’re substantiated opinions based off of having worked in the public relations department of two separate sports teams. What you hear for team officials is never the full truth. Especially in a situation like this, you’re not going to get a truthful explanation from anybody on the record.
Joe —- If you mean to say that Alderson is responding in a way that is most favorable to the club, then I would agree and that is his job to do so. To say that he is not being truthful about the completely logical statement that players are sharing the cost so they have some skin in the game goes overboard in my opinion.
The program seems to be in line with typical athletic training from what I have read, and if it were not then I would think that the strongest player union in sports would take issue with it.
Sanity rules!
Much ado about nothing. I’m constantly reading stories about many players, across a variety of sports, who pay to attend Athletes’ Performance and other Sports-Centered training facilities. From what I’ve read, the Mets are picking up major portions of the tab, from travel, to lodging, a major portion of the training fees, and some other incidentals. Pro Athletes require professional strength and flexibility training, and such facilities and expert staff aren’t located in every little hamlet in which they may live. So, this is an opportunity for the players to get some valuable training at a very low expense. I read that the total tab for eight weeks of training totals as little as $2000, after the Mets contribution. That’s really cheap. Perhaps the players can choose alternate paths to get professional training, I don’t know what those alternate arrangements might be. Clearly, the players who “made the headlines” by receiving direct requests, from Met management, to attend Barwis’ sessions were those who were judged to be in great need of structured, professional training.
First off, very well written article Joe. But it is an emotionally based argument you’re making. Barwis is widely regarded and has been a strength and conditioning consultant or director for the Miami Dolphins, University of Michigan, West Virginia University and runs a thriving business. He doesn’t need the Mets.
I don’t believe this is that common for teams to do, because I don’t think a lot of teams mandate any particular off-season workout regimen. The Mets aren’t either, they are simply guiding their assets to use the best facilities available. And just like we all don’t always get reimbursed from work, neither do the Mets players apparently. The costs just go up with the price of training millionaire athletes.
You have ever right to be suspicious of what the Mets do and say, because quite frankly we get lied to sometimes. But I don’t think this is one of those times.
I don’t think it’s weird. If he was prescribing strange drinks and supplements I’d be concerned but, he’s recognized and respected as a top trainer What the Mets did was make it easy for their players and more challenging for other team players who don’t frequent Port St Lucie. My job offers training, then the suggest others where I invest. It’s the most normal thing in the world