Former Cardinals ace has regrets about MLBPA power struggle

Things have been getting a little bit heated with the MLBPA.

There has been some infighting, and some players have even called for the removal of Bruce Meyer, the second-in-command to Executive Director Tony Clark, and replace him with Harry Marino.

Though it's unclear what exactly was said in the most recent meeting, one that ultimately got very heated, Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty was one of the players that expressed some concerns.

Flaherty said he wasn't suggesting that Meyer should be replaced, but did ultimately come to regret his actions, and he shared his side of the story in an interview with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

"There was one phone call that went on that I put Tony in a bad position in, where Harry tried to push his way through," said Flaherty. "He tried to pressure Tony, and Tony stood strong, said this is not going to happen. Tony has done nothing but stand strong in all of this. That was something I would love to take back. I never wanted Harry to be in Bruce's position."

Jack Flaherty laments actions on important MLBPA phone call

Flaherty has acknowledged his role in the situation and has expressed regret over the way he handled himself.

The Tigers right-hander said that he stood up for Meyer and held firm on his stance that Marino shouldn't replace him. However, things got out of hand when Flaherty said that while he didn't want Meyer gone, he would be willing to continue the conversation if other players were interested in listening to what Marino had to say.

"When you go around and you have things to say and you talk to certain people, you can influence guys," Flaherty continued. "Our job as players is to inform each and every guy of what's going on, to try to figure out the right way to go about things and the right way to come together, come to a formulated agreement on things. Once it got to a certain point and things became very pushy, it was evident this thing needs to stop. This has gotten out of hand."

Flaherty now says that Marino is no longer being considered for any kind of role with the MLBPA. He also mentioned that players have different opinions on what they think needs to happen.

Ultimately, it's nice to see Flaherty take the high road and accept responsibility for his actions. What took place clearly was not what he had in mind when he spoke.

However, it does shed light on some issues within the MLBPA and other conflicts. Flaherty's intentions obviously were not to spark a controversy, but it's clear that there is some unrest within the Players' Association.

Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tigers this past offseason.