HOUSTON — Shawn Chacon was put on waivers Thursday by the Houston Astros, a day after he got into a physical altercation with general manager Ed Wade.
If another team doesn’t claim Chacon by Monday, the Astros say they will release the pitcher and terminate his contract for cause, which would set off a confrontation with the players’ association over the nearly $1 million that would remain on Chacon’s deal.
“Based on the information we have to date, we believe the Astros’ response violates the Basic Agreement,” union general counsel Michael Weiner said. “If Shawn Chacon clears waivers and is released, we will pursue appropriate relief on his behalf.”
If Chacon is released Monday, $983,607 of his $2 million salary would be in dispute. The union also could claim lost bonus opportunities for the pitcher, who has $1 million in available performance bonuses in his agreement, starting with 130 innings and ending with 210 innings.
Houston says Chacon violated a provision in the uniform player contract that states the player may be terminated if he shall “fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition or to obey to the club’s training rules.”
Wade said the problems began when he asked manager Cecil Cooper to call Chacon into a meeting to discuss media reports that he was asking for a trade because he was unhappy with being bumped from the rotation.
After Chacon refused Cooper’s repeated requests to come to his office for the meeting, Wade went into the team dining room to try to get him to meet.
After he said he wanted to speak in the dining room, things became heated.
“I did not raise my voice to the player, curse the player,” Wade said. “I did not make any defamatory remarks toward the player. Chacon responded with profane and threatening remarks and got up from his seat. He moved in front of me until we were chest to chest and then he shoved me to the ground. When I attempted to get to my feet, he shoved me a second time. At this point players and coaches intervened.”
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