murray chass update

Last week, we reported that veteran NYT writer Murray Chass was accepting a buyout offer. The blogosphere cheered. Sports Business Daily reached out to Chass, who spoke as if he wasn’t totally done with the paper: “I have a few more weeks to decide on the Times offer and I intend to use them.” Poppycock! Sources tell us that the Times has become increasingly frustrated with Chass in recent years – the 38-year veteran didn’t have a byline from Spring Training, which is odd, considering he’s the No. 1 paper in the country’s baseball columnist – and presented him with an offer: If you still want to write for us, it would be in a web-only situation. Sources say Chass was told that even if he had breaking news, another baseball writer would re-write it for the paper. Chass bristled at this, and accepted the buyout. We’re told Chass has even notified baseball commissioner Bud Selig of his departure.