11 Free Agents Involved in Mitchell Doping Investigation

Nov. 9, 2007 — -- No more than 11 players from this year's free-agent class were asked to speak with George Mitchell as part of his investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, a union official told agents this week.

Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, made the statement Wednesday to agents attending a meeting in New York, two people with knowledge of the session said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the remarks were intended to remain private.

Olney: Expect names

If it's true 11 free agents have been contacted by Mitchell Report investigators, Buster Olney says it gives us a small cross-section of the possible volume of information we could expect within the final report. Story

The Boston Globe's Web site Thursday afternoon reported agents were told at the meeting that 11 current free-agent players are named in Mitchell's report, and the players have been notified by the commisioner's office.

Later Thursday, the Globe said on its Web site that it "turns out the agents might have misunderstood what was said at Wednesday's union meeting," and the reporter apologized.

Weiner said the union didn't know whether any names would be included, those with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.

Union sources also told the New York Daily News that the union didn't know whether the final report would name names, or how many names would be named.

Union official Gene Orza told ESPN's Karl Ravech that union officials and agents have this meeting every November to lay down dates and rules for agents who are about to enter into free-agent talks and one of the subjects that came up during the meeting was the Mitchell investigation.

Orza said the only relevance the Mitchell investigation has to free agents is that the union officials wanted the agents to be aware that of those players that have filed for free agency, no more than 11 of those have been asked to speak with Mitchell.

Free Agent Tracker

Barry Bonds and Andruw Jones are among the players who have already filed for free agency. Check the Tracker to find out who else has filed and which teams have the most free agents. More