IRVING http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , Texas (AP) — Tony Clark’s contract as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association was extended through 2022, a year past the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement with MLB.The former All-Star first baseman became executive director after previous union head Michael Weiner died in 2013, and Clark led negotiations for a labor contract covering 2017-21.“As much as anything, the engagement of our guys, the interest that they have, both now and moving forward, being connected to that, supportive of that, and leading them through that is something that I’m grateful for the opportunity to do,” Clark said Wednesday after the MLBPA finished its annual executive board meeting.This week’s meeting was at the same North Texas resort hotel where Clark and the MLPBA met two years ago with management and reached a verbal agreement on the current labor contract. In August, the union made a key addition to its staff when it hired Bruce Meyer as senior director of collective bargaining and legal.There were increased tensions between players and management when dozens of experienced free agents went unsigned into spring training this year — and some even much longer. Two weeks into spring training, about one-third of the 166 players who exercised free agency rights last November hadn’t reached contract agreements.There are about 150 free agents right now early in this offseason.Asked whether he felt things would be different this time, Clark said he is “cautiously optimistic” that they will.“We have concerns that we had last year, particularly as they’re related to competition on the field and how those manifest themselves into decisions related to rosters and individual players. Those concerns are still there,” he said. “But we remain cautiously optimistic that a year later the interests of the individual clubs and the industry as a whole has teams making decisions with an eye on competition in the near term, and now three, four, five, six years down the road.”Clark said there have been a number of informal conversations with MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred during the last few months trying to get an idea of what talks the sides are interested in having during the offseason.“My expectations after the conversations that we had today is a lot of things that you’ve heard, whether from their side or our side Ken Griffey Jersey , are going to be discussed,” Clark said. “Then the question becomes whether common ground can be found against the interests they have and the interests we have. So different values may be placed on different pieces of that puzzle.”Pace of play has been an ongoing discussion for several years, and now there are also on-field items such as the drastic defensive shifts being used by some teams and the increased use of relievers on pitching staffs, including some in the role of “openers” to start games.While not getting into specifics about where those issues could go, and how exactly they were discussed, Clark said the players have always had a passion for the game and remain committed to it.“So any time you talk about the game and having to make changes, appreciating why the changes are being discussed while acknowledging that you’re changing the game that the guys love and are passionate about, the conversations are personal,” he said. “But the one thing that the guys have always known, and have always appreciated, is that when the game does well everybody tends to benefit.” PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Jeff McNeil will be exchanging the big glove he’s been wearing this spring for the smaller one in his locker.And soon.The New York Mets utilityman — an infielder for most of his career — started in left field for Friday’s exhibition game against the Miami Marlins. After the 10-3 loss, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said McNeil would get be getting more looks at third base.The move is out of necessity, not because of McNeil’s outfield play.“He’s been taking groundballs and we’re going to get him in there at third base on Sunday and start getting him some reps there,” Callaway said. “Every other time out, you might see him at third and the other time you’ll see him in left.”The move for McNeil, who also sports a first baseman’s mitt in his locker, was on the horizon. Callaway expected an 80-20 split between time in the outfield and in the infield for McNeil, but those numbers flipped to 50-50 with injuries to infielder Jed Lowrie (knee) and third baseman Todd Frazier (oblique). Lowrie is unlikely to be ready for opening day.“That’s just to ensure that we’re covered in all scenarios. We feel like he needs to start playing some third,” Callaway said. “We were still going to get him on the infield Tony Perez Jersey , but now with the couple of injuries we need get him more 50-50 in that regard.”A former outfielder at Long Beach State and in summer ball, McNeil started off well at First Data Field on a blustery day.After an uneventful top of the first inning, McNeil led off the bottom half with his first hit this spring, a home run against Dan Straily.Things got interesting defensively, however, in the top of the second. Isaac Galloway hit a line drive that turned McNeil around, and the ball bounced off his glove. McNeil retrieved it and threw to shortstop Andres Gimenez, who relayed to catcher Devin Mesoroco in time to get Austin Dean and keep the Marlins off the board against Noah Syndergaard.“The wind was pretty tough out there today, and I had a really good read on it,” McNeil said. “It just twisted back over my right shoulder, and I did the most athletic thing I could.“It hit the palm of my glove and just happened to pop out. I make that catch almost every time,” he said.McNeil is coming back from a minor wrist cut. McNeil, 26, played his fourth Grapefruit League game and Callaway likes what little he had seen of his outfield work.“He’s looked really good. He gets the ball in quick. He still hasn’t played outfield a ton, so what we’ve seen to this point I think we’ve been satisfied with,” Callaway said.“I think he’ll be able to handle (playing the outfield) with more reps that he gets,” he said.McNeil is ready for the challenge.“I’ll get my flyballs and I’ll get my groundballs, so I’ll do both. I’ll do my best to be comfortable at both,” he said.Syndergaard, who said he “out of sync” in his last start http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , called his four innings against Miami “kind of a boring outing.”“It wasn’t terribly good, it wasn’t too bad. It’s a step in the right direction. In the spring, that’s really all that matters — going out there and getting better,” said Syndergaard, who issued five walks last Saturday.Former Mets teammate Neil Walker hit a three-run homer off Syndergaard and JT Riddle had a solo drive. Syndergaard allowed six hits and four runs (three earned), struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter.“I was just trying to think less, be more comfortable on the mound, be more fluid and accelerate toward the catcher,” the right-hander said.NOTES: Robinson Cano and Gimenez also hit their first homers of the spring in the loss. “It feels good, but they don’t count here,” said Cano, 36. He is hitting .471 (8 for 17). . SS Amed Rosario (bruised left hand) was a late scratch from the lineup, but Callaway said he would start on Sunday. . New closer Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit. . Gimenez, Dominic Smith, Dilson Herrera and Arismendy Alcantara all committed errors. . Top prospect Pete Alonso (.409, two homers) and OFs Brandon Nimmo and Tim Tebow will be among the Mets traveling to Fort Myers on Saturday for the game against the Boston Red Sox. RHP Zack Wheeler will start.