New MLBPA Agent Regulations

The MLBPA is in the midst of making amendments to the regulations regarding player agents.  They are as follows:

In addition to people who negotiate MLB contract terms on behalf of their clients, recruiters and people who provide “Client Maintenance Services” must apply for limited MLBPA certification.

My take:  This is interesting.  If I’m reading this correctly, even assistants for an agent would have to be registered.  I imagine this would include interns, like myself.

Agents who communicate with players that they do not represent must disclose those communications to the MLBPA.  If the communication is planned ahead of time, the agent must give the MLBPA 48 hours advance notice.  If the player initiates the communication or it occurs spontaneously, the agent must disclose the communication to the MLBPA 24 hours after it occurs.

My take: I imagine the way this would have to be regulated is that a player would have to report an agent who he was in contact with.  That is always the tough part of any agent rules, is how to regulate and manage them.  This rule should only help protect the players and their current agent.

Agents cannot provide or promise anything of value to players not already represented by them and agents may not provide over $1,500 of free baseball equipment per year to a client.

My take: This should really help out young agents trying to make it in the business and avoid having their players stolen by hotshot agents.  Once again, the task here will be actually enforcing this. It is unlikely that a player would report an agent for offering them something. 

Upcoming off-season free agency and arbitration eligible players must consult with the MLBPA before making a switch of representation in the off-season.

My take: This seems like an unnecessary way to micro-manage, but so be it.

An agency may attempt to restrict its employees from departing and immediately competing with the agency in signed employment contracts, however, such restrictive covenants must be deemed “reasonable.”

My take:  Well, what makes it “reasonable?”  Agents leaving an agency and taking players with them is not uncommon.  While I do not know what is deemed reasonable, this will probably be a good thing.  A company needs to protect themselves, but the employee should have rights to leave and pursue their own career in the industry.

All disputes between agents about player representation are to be submitted to the MLBPA’s arbitration procedure.

My take:  This is understandable.  The ones who govern agent regulations should be the ones to handle issues and 

disputes.

Amendments will be effective October 1^st, 2010

Source: http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2010/09/07/amendments-to-the-mlbpa-regulations-governing-player-agents