MLBPA, commissioner working to establish domestic violence policy
Representatives from the MLB Players Association and commissioner Rob Manfred's office are making a “good-faith effort” toward achieving a new domestic violence policy, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
Both parties involved in the process have been “trading drafts and working on specific language toward an agreement,” according to a source the report cited.
Talks aimed at securing a cohesive framework for addressing domestic violence initiated last September in the wake of high-profile cases of abuse in the NFL involving players like the Carolina Panthers' Greg Hardy, the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice and the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson.
• McKNIGHT & WERTHEIM: The tragic extent of Monique and Milton Bradley's violent relationship
MLB executive vice president and former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said in December it was MLB's goal to have a new policy implemented by the start of the 2015 season.
An ESPN report at the time said Torre recommended to Manfred a policy that would “make it easier for the commissioner to impose an appropriate level of discipline on players who commit acts of domestic violence or sexual assault and have that discipline be upheld.”
Every player on a 40-man roster during 2015 spring training attended a mandatory domestic violence education program.
As it stands now, the league's collective bargaining agreement includes a voluntary treatment program for certain types of off-field conduct deemed violent.
