Union head Tony Clark visits camp

SARASOTA, Fla. - Players Association leader Tony Clark is making the rounds again this spring, his latest stop coming this morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. He's headed to Bradenton later today to address the Pirates.

The collective bargaining agreement ends on Dec. 1, which places greater importance on Clark's visits.

Hot topics this morning included the qualifying offer, which players want to see eliminated. The Dexter Fowler fiasco, which Clark blamed on the "race to be first."

(Meanwhile, it was confirmed by multiple outlets, not just one person, but I digress ...)

Exhibition games in Cuba and the international draft, inconsistent strike zones, media access and the leaking of medical information also came up during Clark's 45-minute session with Orioles reporters.

Here's a sampling from Clark before I need to race outside and cover the workout and hopefully Yovani Gallardo's side session prior to the intrasquad game:

On the qualifying offer: "It is one of the concerns. A lot of the commentary tends to be cyclical, depending on what is the forefront at that time. But as I mentioned a little while ago, staying connected to the guys in the long haul gives us a pretty good idea as to where the group is.

"As it relates to the qualifying offer, I think it's disappointing when some of the best players in our game and some of the teams who have an interest in those best players have hurdles to overcome in the effort to secure their services. As a result, I don't see how it is necessarily beneficial on either side of the equation, and again it's what makes it worthy of more dialogue."

On whether there are merits to the qualifying offer, which three players accepted: "Hindsight is 20/20 in any one particular situation, and a player and his individual representation is going to make whatever decision they want to make against whatever information they have to make it. Compensation system has been around for a long time. Compensation system had been a topic in bargaining - a very significant topic in bargaining - going back to the '70s.

"It's something that had been there, it is something that arguably doesn't need to be there. It is something that in a world where considerations are being made by clubs as they relate to draft picks and free agents and whether they want to improve their club now or improve their club later. The club having the way to do that without being hamstrung in some way is worthy of looking at. "

On reports that Fowler reached agreement with the Orioles: "I always have concerns when there appear to be public misses related to a player, related to a player's physical, related to any number of things tied to a negotiation between a club and a player. I think it is disappointing that we live in a world where it is more important to be first than it is to be right, and it's a very dangerous place to exist when information makes its way out that may not be 100 percent accurate. Regardless of what the information is and helps to change or sway the dialogue on one side of the equation or the other. I look forward to having a conversation on how everyone can be a little more diligent in that regard in the best interest of the entire industry."

On agent Casey Close's scathing statement that followed: "An agent has the ability to issue the statement that it issued. Understanding and appreciating what may have transpired here. Going back to the question prior, to say we have concerns is an understatement."

On Close waiting 50 hours to respond: "Offering anything publicly about a negotiation I don't know is in anyone's best interest. And rest assured, I can appreciate that different groups and different segments of both sides of the equation offer information at any given time that they may think is beneficial. I can appreciate there are some that do that. But the truth is, we are playing a very dangerous game here in respect to the information that's being offered, whether it's accurate or not.

"While I can appreciate that information is king, content is king, data is king, if we spent time correcting all the false statements that were out there, we would have to create a branch that is adjacent to our communications department and I'm sure would have to be created on the agent's side, as well.

"I won't offer to you what conversation I may or may not have had with an agent or a player regarding his concerns, particularly as they relate to the media. I will offer you this: There are some very dangerous lines that are being crossed and tip-toed with respect to information that is finding its way. That concern is one that resonates here and resonates in other situations. It's something that we do take seriously and are paying a lot of attention to, so I don't know that anyone is going to have an appreciation for how all the moving pieces fit or didn't fit here, but I will suggest that how it all played out is disheartening and shouldn't have played out in the fashion that it did."

On the potential for an international draft: "Arguably, the draft here in the states needs some fixing. Taking a draft and dropping it into any international country against the backdrop of the infrastructure and people that are involved make it a very dangerous proposition for everybody, not just the player. Each individual country is different. Each individual country may already have rules in place that affect the amateur development and infrastructure therein, so whether it is an Asian country, whether it is the Dominican Republic, whether it is Venezuela or Mexico or Panama or Nicaragua or any other countries that we've been fortunate to draw players from and hopefully to continue to draw players from.

"Taking a system and simply dropping it into those areas against what may have been functioning, what system may have been functioning in those areas, is dangerous, meaning it can put clubs and club personnel in bad positions. It can put players and those that are training them in bad positions. You've got age concerns in any one particular country. You've got reserve system concerns in any one particular country. That doesn't even take into account the challenges that currently exist with Cuba, so as much as we're talking about a spring training game in Cuba, as much as we had a goodwill tour, as much as this president has seen fit to try to break down some of the barriers there, when you say international, that includes a lot of different places. So, just assuming that a one-size-fits-all system that again arguably needs some tweaking here is just not prudent."

On more exhibition games in Cuba: "Putting aside for the moment the political current, and that's a big piece, but let's put that aside for a moment. I think based on the history that exists there, the sensitivities that exist there that each event is a singular event, but I think they are undoubtedly all connected. I think even the possibility of a spring training game is the result of the goodwill tour in December, and it going well.

"The focal point being everyone's love and passion and commitment to baseball, and having Cuban players come back and having non-Cuban players be there and putting on clinics, just a goodwill tour where there was no game and was really designed to see if we could create some open dialogue did just that where, to where although challenging, although there are indeed some hurdles left to overcome, this is another opportunity to continue to move forward.

"I'm not naïve enough to suggest there aren't some deep-rooted concerns with any number of people that are a part of this equation. The focal point being baseball provides a bridge to move the line forward. If this game does happen. If this games goes well, if everybody enjoys themselves, which if it happens, I would anticipate that happening, we remain hopeful that it continues to grow and create momentum toward further opportunities."

On the hurdles of having games in Cuba: "There are a lot of intricacies that are a part of this type of event because of the two countries that are involved. The location, the facilities, the management, the time, the travel, all of that is always a part of the conversation and is always one that we're concerned about. As much as we get excited about the game growing internationally, putting players on a field that's not safe is not something we're interested in, nor do I think the club is interested in it, either, so I think we've been able to work through a lot of those concerns in a lot of other areas realizing that a lot of these areas have some challenges with respect to facilities and fields. As much as you want them to be reflective, or you hope they're reflective of the major league facilities that are here.

"Some are, and some need some work, but again the truth is, at least as it pertains to Cuba, everyone is doing everything they can to give this a chance to work, including ensuring that the fields and the amenities are up to par."

Yovani Gallardo throws his first bullpen session as an Oriole.

Gallardo chats with pitching coach Dave Wallace while Darren O'Day throws.