PHOENIX — Bruce Meyer staunchly defended free agency and salary arbitration on his first full day as head of the baseball players’ association, dismissing any possibility of agreement on a salary cap in another sign of a likely labor confrontation next winter. The 64-year-old was promoted to executive director on Wednesday, a day after the forced resignation of Tony Clark, who had led the union since 2013. The sport’s five-year labor contract expires on Dec. 1 and Major League Baseball is expected to propose a salary cap. “We believe in a meritocracy,” Meyer said Thursday after meeting with Milwaukee Brewers players. “We believe in a system, and players believe in a system, that rewards...
