Person familiar with talks: Lawyers from union, MLB to meet on Francisco Rodriguez

AP source: Union and MLB to meet on K-Rod

NEW YORK — Lawyers from Major League Baseball and the players’ association will meet Thursday to discuss the grievance filed after the New York Mets withheld salary from injured closer Francisco Rodriguez.

A person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the meeting will be held in New York. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was not announced.

Under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, the meeting is required before the grievance can be scheduled for argument in front of arbitrator Shyam Das.

New York’s decision, and an earlier move to put him on the restricted list for two days, cost Rodriguez $3,142,076 of his $11.5 million salary this year.

In addition, the team said it was exercising a contractual right to convert the rest of his $37 million, three-year deal to non-guaranteed, meaning the Mets could try to avoid paying most of what’s left on it. That move also is subject to the grievance.

If the conversion is upheld, the Mets could release Rodriguez in the early part of spring training next year for 30 days’ termination pay. That would mean paying $1,885,246 rather than his $11.5 million salary next year. They still likely would owe the $3.5 million buyout attached to the $17.5 million club option for 2012.