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The Major League Baseball Players Association is thinking about filing a collusion grievance charging owners with conspiring against free agents last winter, according to the Associated Press.  Union head Michael Weiner confirmed to the AP that there is an ongoing investigation.

"We have concerns about the operation of the post-2009 free agent market," Weiner said.  "We have been investigating that market. Our investigation is far along but not yet complete."

Agents for players have claimed that they have received multiple similar offers for free agent clients and have urged the union to speak up on the matter.

The union also alleged misconduct by teams following the 2008 season.  The two sides reached a standstill agreement, giving the players' association more time to decide whether to proceed with a grievance on that matter.

Meanwhile, the MLBPA also announced today that Opening Day salaries are up slightly from last year, according to Tom Singer of MLB.com.  The average player salary is $3.34MM compared to $3.31MM last season.

3:00pm:  USA Today, correcting an error in their original report, now say the average player salary this year is $3.27MM, an increase of less than one percent from last year.  

9:10am: The players on Opening Day rosters around the majors are making 17% less money this year than they did last year, according to USA Today. On average, players earned $3.2MM last year, but that figure is down to $2.7MM as the new season begins. Players are still earning lots, but their salaries dropped more this year than in any year since 1988, when USA Today started its survey. Let's run down some of the reasons why salaries are dropping:

• The weakened economy has slowed spending down for the past couple offseasons. Braves president John Schuerholz told USA Today that "the economy has affected all of us." When fans spend less, teams bring in less revenue and have less to spend on players.
• As Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd points out in the article, teams are relying on lots of young talent. Players are at their cheapest before they hit free agency, so the emphasis on youth could be lowering salaries.
• Teams are more conscious of defensive stats and people like Bill James believe younger (and therefore cheaper) players tend to play better defense better than aging ones.
• Front offices are becoming more risk-averse and are less likely to hand out multi-year deals to anyone other than elite players.

Baseball is a numbers game and we use lots of stats here at MLBTR. Some of them are easy to understand (Albert Pujols hit 47 homers last year) and some of them aren't as simple (Pujols posted a 0.8 UZR/150 last year). So here's a guide to some stats you see here and elsewhere. It's not meant to be comprehensive; there are lots more useful stats than the ones that appear below, but these are some important ones:

• OBP – On-base percentage shows you the percentage of time a player reaches base. The league average usually hovers around .330 and last year was no exception (.331 in the NL and .336 in the AL). OBP is computed by adding hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches as the times on base, and dividing that by the sum of the player's at-bats, walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifice flies.
• SLG – Slugging percentage measures a player's extra base power. SLG is calculated by dividing a player's total bases by his at-bats. Power hitters like Adam Dunn and Ryan Howard regularly slug over .500, but league averages are usually closer to .420.
• You'll often see us list a player's batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (always in that order) like this: .280/.340/.450.
• UZR/150 – Ultimate Zone Rating is a defensive metric that estimates the runs a defender saves or costs his team. UZR/150 shows a player's impact per 150 games played. Check out this two–part explanation for more detail and keep in mind that it's best to look at multiple seasons when evaluating a player's defense with UZR/150.
• K/9 – The number of batters a pitcher strikes out per nine innings pitched. Last year pitchers struck out 7.0 batters per nine innings.
• BB/9 – The number of batters a pitcher walks per nine innings pitched. Last year pitchers walked 3.5 batters per nine innings.

Check out Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus for lots more stats and check out our transactions glossary and the one at Cot's for explanations of transactions terms.

A few weeks ago we presented MLBTR's 10 Best Free Agent Signings Of The Offseason.  It's only fitting that we also name our ten worst before the season begins.  Only Major League deals are included, and the players are listed in order of contract amount.  Keep in mind that a good player can have a bad contract.

• Matt Holliday, Cardinals: seven years, $120MM.  In terms of production, Holliday was the best available free agent.  The problem with the contract is that there was not another serious bidder, and Holliday's best alternatives at the time of the signing were in the one-year, $18MM range.  At the very least, hardball tactics with Scott Boras might've eliminated the seventh guaranteed year.  Cardinals fans might not care now, but will in 2016.  The Mets' four-year, $66MM deal with Jason Bay gets an honorable mention in the category of teams bidding against themselves.
• Placido Polanco, Phillies: three years, $18MM.  I'd have no beef with a one-year deal in the $5-6MM range, as that'd fit with contracts signed by comparable free agent infielders.  The Phillies tacked on two more years for the 34-year-old Polanco, with plan to make him a regular third baseman for the first time since 2002.
• Brandon Lyon, Astros: three years, $15MM.  Assuming his shoulder injury is a non-issue, most clubs would be happy to have Lyon working the seventh and eighth innings.  But similar to the Phillies and Polanco, the Astros had to have this reliever above all others.  The result: the only three-year contract given to a reliever this offseason.
• Jason Marquis, Nationals: two years, $15MM.  Marquis takes the ball every fifth day and typically pitches like a #4-5 starter should.  I don't see what he offers the 2010 Nationals that Doug Davis and Braden Looper didn't, and those pitchers would take one-year deals at a lower salary.  I don't buy the argument that the Nationals needed to overpay to import Marquis.  Other pitchers could've provided a similar benefit for much less. 
• Mark DeRosa, Giants: two years, $12MM.  DeRosa's last contract was a pleasant surprise, but now he's 35 and coming off wrist surgery.  He's still useful, but the Giants needed to find an impact bat with their free agent budget.
• Fernando Rodney, Angels: two years, $11MM.  Without the 37 saves, Rodney wouldn't have gotten anything near this contract.  He's useful, but has lousy control and dealt with shoulder problems the previous two seasons.
• John Grabow, Cubs: two years, $7.5MM.  As if Carlos Marmol's control problems weren't bad enough, the Cubs locked up Grabow and his 5.0 BB/9 for two years.  Grabow strikes out lefties at a solid clip, but doesn't offer much beyond that.
• Jason Kendall, Royals: two years, $6MM.  The main blemish on Dayton Moore's offseason, Kendall received an extra year for no apparent reason.  The Nationals did the same with Ivan Rodriguez.
• Coco Crisp, Athletics: one year, $5.25MM.  Crisp played just 49 games last year, and eventually needed surgery on both shoulders.  Does his projected center field defense justify this kind of guarantee?  The A's were in a risky mood this winter, also guaranteeing $10MM to Ben Sheets.
• Alex Cora, Mets: one year, $2MM.  Scott Boras makes his third appearance on this list.  Despite a lousy season, Cora avoided a pay cut.  Instead of signing Cora in November, the Mets could've displayed patience and saved a million bucks. 

Just a reminder that tips from readers and reporters are always welcome if you feel that we've missed a relevant hot stove story.  Just use the Contact button up top, which will lead you to this page.  Be sure to include the link in your email!

You can also mention @mlbtraderumors in a tweet, and we'll see it.

Raise your hand if you had Florida's Chris Coghlan as your preseason NL ROY pick.  I'm not seeing too many hands!  I'll make the conventional pick for 2010 with Jason Heyward, but here's a bigger field to consider:

Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman, Buster Posey, Pedro Alvarez, Alcides Escobar, Madison Bumgarner, Starlin Castro, Logan Morrison, Gaby Sanchez, Jason Castro, Jenrry Mejia, Jhoulys Chacin, Mike Leake, Fernando Martinez, Mat Gamel, Drew Storen, Andrew Cashner, Mike Stanton, Jay Jackson, Jose Tabata, Todd Frazier, Chris Heisey, Eric Young Jr., David Freese, Ian Desmond, Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn, Jon Niese, Yonder Alonso, Brad Lincoln, Travis Wood, Daniel McCutchen, Tommy Manzella, Scott Elbert

Let us know additional names to consider, as well as your picks.

A total of $972MM was spent on Major League free agent contracts this offseason, led by the Red Sox at $137MM.  The Marlins are on bottom, with no big league free agent contracts signed.  Each team spent about $32MM on average.  Check out the list below, and contact us if you notice any errors.

1. Red Sox – $137,030,000
2. Cardinals – $129,450,000
3. Mets – $75,350,000
4. Brewers – $55,650,000
5. Angels – $52,000,000
6. Mariners – $51,325,000
7. Braves – $41,350,000
8. Reds – $37,070,000
9. Giants – $34,750,000
10. Phillies – $30,850,000
11. Astros – $29,900,000
12. Nationals – $29,900,000
13. Cubs – $25,800,000
14. Tigers – $23,950,000
15. Orioles – $23,900,000
16. Rangers – $22,500,000
17. Athletics – $20,900,000
18. Blue Jays – $20,500,000 
19. Yankees – $19,800,000
20. Diamondbacks – $19,100,000
21. Royals – $18,600,000
22. Twins – $14,400,000
23. Rockies – $13,100,000
24. Dodgers – $11,500,000 
25. Padres – $8,675,000
26. White Sox – $8,375,000
27. Pirates – $8,125,000
28. Rays – $5,300,000
29. Indians – $2,850,000
30. Marlins – $0

As Spring Training winds down and Opening Day draws near, let's dig up some of the more interesting stories on MLBTR from April of 2007, 2008, and 2009 to see what kind of news we can expect in the coming weeks..

• On April 11th, 2007, the Twins made a low-ball offer to Johan Santana.  Minnesota offered their superstar pitcher a two-year extension for $36MM, plus a club option for 2011.  Tim summed it up perfectly when he wrote, "I know you have to start somewhere with negotiations, but the Twins could essentially double their offer and it would still be well below market value."  Santana later denied that the Twins made such an offer.
• We saw a handful of extensions agreed upon in the coming days, including a three-year, $33MM extension for Jake Westbrook and a two-year, $7MM contract for Ryan Freel.
• The Braves gave John Smoltz a contract extension towards the end of that month.  The deal gave him $14MM in 2008 with vesting options for '09 and '10 for a similar rate.  Smoltz pitched 28 innings in 2008, terminating his deal at season's end.
• Now we fast forward to April of 2008, where Evan Longoria signed a long-term deal with the Rays early in his rookie season.  Though Longoria signed with very little Major League experience, this has become the game's most team-friendly contract. 
• Scott Hatteberg said that he would welcome a trade after being slotted as the understudy to Joey Votto.  
• Kenji Johjima inked a three-year, $24MM extension with the M's, only to bolt for the Hanshin Tigers in the fall of 2009.
• Toronto was fed up with Frank Thomas and released him, leaving them on the hook for more than $7MM.  The thrifty A's signed the Big Hurt to a cheap deal.
• Matt Morris retired from baseball soon after being released by the Pirates.
• The Rockies and the Tigers closed out that month with a rare April trade, swapping pitchers Jason Grilli and Zach Simons.
• In April of 2009, Indians GM Mark Shapiro denied that the club was willing to part with Cliff Lee.  Lee would continue to be a member of the Tribe – until right before the trade deadline.
• The White Sox made what proved to be a great pickup when they signed Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal.
• Manny Ramirez, as he is wont to do, decided to be Manny and stated publicly that he would like to return to Cleveland before the end of his career.
• There were plenty of interesting signings in this month – Chad Gaudin hooked on with San Diego, Ron Villone signed with the Nats, and Dallas McPherson joined the Giants.

Could you see the Cardinals presenting Albert Pujols with an offer well below market value, similar to how the Twins handed Johan in 2007?  Do you think the Padres, similar to the Indians last season, will shoot down Adrian Gonzalez trade talk, only to deal him closer to the deadline?  Let's hear your thoughts.

I've compiled 2010 starting rotation spending by team; details can be found in this spreadsheet.  Buyouts (for example, the $2.5MM the Dodgers owe to Jason Schmidt) and players not in 2010 rotations (Kei Igawa) are not included in the figures below.  If a team is paying part of the salary of another club's starter, like in the case of Roy Halladay, that payment is accounted for only on the receiving team.  If you find any errors, please contact us.

1. Yankees – $63,157,650
2. Cubs – $50,775,000
3. Red Sox – $42,263,500
4. Mets – $38,087,500
5. White Sox – $36,200,000
6. Cardinals – $35,925,000
7. Giants – $33,850,000
8. Tigers – $32,670,000
9. Phillies – $31,805,000
10. Braves  – $31,467,000
11. Angels – $29,965,000
12. Royals  – $25,110,000
13. Reds – $24,700,000
14. Astros – $23,916,000
15. Rockies – $23,500,000
16. Diamondbacks – $22,008,925
17. Dodgers – $21,679,000
18. Mariners – $20,550,000
19. Brewers – $18,565,000 
20. Indians – $17,115,500
21. Padres – $15,355,000
22. Rangers – $14,181,090
23. Orioles – $13,668,125
24. Athletics – $13,210,000
25. Twins – $12,790,000
26. Nationals – $10,224,000
27. Pirates – $10,013,500
28. Marlins – $9,645,000
29. Rays – $9,473,333
30. Blue Jays – $4,085,000

• Approximately $736MM will be spent on the 2010 salaries of the 150 projected members of Opening Day rotations.  That's an average of $4.9MM per pitcher.
• On average, a team will spend $24.5MM on its rotation in 2010.  The median figure is $22.8MM.
• The White Sox, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Rockies, and Giants don't have any projected starters earning less than $1MM.
• The Blue Jays will pay more to Halladay in 2010 than they will pay their entire rotation.
• Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the salary data.

Garrett Jones, Kevin Correia, Juan Uribe, Scott Podsednik, Kiko Calero, Brian Sanches, Jonny Gomes, Ronald Belisario – all were signed to minor league deals and had productive 2009 seasons.  Candidates for the best minor league deals of the 2009-10 offseason:

• D.J. Carrasco, Pirates: Carrasco led all of baseball in relief innings in 2009, so maybe teams think he's worn down.  He's capable of an ERA around 4.00, and could fill a swingman role.
• Joaquin Benoit, Rays: Benoit had rotator cuff surgery in January of '09.  He'll be a big asset if his '07 skills return.
• Kiko Calero, Mets: Despite whiffing 10.4 per nine in '09 with a 1.95 ERA, concerns over Calero's shoulder prevented a big league offer from coming in.
• Shelley Duncan, Indians: Duncan hit 30 home runs in Triple A last year and could hit 20 for the Indians.  The Braves' Mitch Jones and Pirates' Brian Myrow, also signed to minor league deals, are cut from the same cloth.
• Will Ohman, Orioles: Ohman had a lost 2009 due to a shoulder injury, but he dominated lefties in '08.  Also keep an eye on Brian Shouse, a lefty reliever signed by the Red Sox.
• Endy Chavez, Rangers: The Rangers didn't risk much to see if Chavez's world-class defense will hold up after surgery to repair a torn ACL.
• Rich Hill, Cardinals: Hill's walk problems have continued in Spring Training, but the prospect of another '07 makes him intriguing.  The Cards also snagged infielder Ruben Gotay, who posted a .429 OBP in Triple A.
• Jose Veras, Marlins: Who would be surprised if Veras gives the Marlins 70 productive innings this year?  Jesus Colome (Mariners), Seth McClung (Marlins), and Erick Threets (White Sox) are other relievers signed on minor league deals who work in the 93-94 mph range.
• Hank Blalock, Rays: He hit 25 home runs last year, and could be useful if he stays healthy.
• Jose Arredondo, Reds: Arredondo is an investment for 2011, as he'll spend '10 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• More decent veteran arms inked to minor league deals: Scott Proctor (Braves), Rodrigo Lopez (Diamondbacks), Jeff Weaver (Dodgers), Guillermo Mota (Giants), Todd Wellemeyer (Giants), and Justin Speier (Rockies).