Feb 17
by Jeff Fannell in Agents, Baseball, MLB, Sports Business 1 comments tags: Agent, Baseball, contract, MLB, Negotiation, Salary Arbitration

A Baseball Agent’s Dilemma

The first three weeks of February is salary arbitration season in Major League Baseball.  A time when eligible players and their clubs try to hammer out contracts for the coming year.  If those efforts fail, the matter is presented to a panel of labor arbitrators who will decide the issue after hearing arguments from the player, club, the union and the Commissioner’s Office. Clubs hold the historical edge in salary arbitration hearings.  According to the MLBPA website, through 2012, arbitrators have ruled for clubs in 286 cases and for players in 214.  This is generally reflective of labor arbitration, where employers win more than they lose.  More than one cynic has suggested that such is way arbitrators ensure they continue to get cases.  For the record, I’ll only say that I find this observation curiously fascinating.  After I retire or move on from handling arbitration cases, chances are I may have other thoughts, but for now I simply remain fascinated. Another facet of baseball’s salary arbitration process that has captured my attention is the particular dilemma that agents face that affects the outcome of many negotiations.  First, consider that the process is designed to foster settlements by creating risk – […]
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Apr 29
by Jeff Fannell in Agents, Baseball, MLB, People, Sports, Sports Business 6 comments tags: Agent, Baseball, MLB, Sports Agent, Tom O'Connell

Q&A with Tom O’Connell, MLB Certified Agent

  Tom O’Connell is Founder and President of O’Connell Sports Management, located in Tampa, FL. Tom has represented professional baseball players since 1997. Recently, we caught up with Tom to get his insights on his career in the agent business. Q. Tom, you’ve been a certified baseball agent for over 15 years, what have been the biggest changes you’ve seen in the agent business over the last decade? A. I would say the two biggest changes in the industry are the increased role sabermetrics play in assisting agents in negotiating and valuing players, and the evolution of social media, which has dramatically changed the interaction with reporters. Agents now tend to be more guarded with reporters, especially in regards to ongoing and future negotiations. Q. Over the course of your career you have operated primarily as a solo agent. Given how the player representation business has become increasingly dominated by larger agencies like CAA, Relativity, Octagon and others, how have you been able to compete in the player market? A. I learned early on that honesty and integrity go a long way into building a solid brand. I have always prided myself on being direct and frank in dealing with […]
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