PHOENIX - The A’s, a team right at the heart of many of the union’s most major concerns, had their annual spring meeting with the Players Association on Wednesday,

Afterward talking to the team’s players at Hohokam Stadium, union head Tony Clark told The Chronicle that there are still concerns over the slow free-agent market.

“We haven’t seen in a long time what we’re seeing this offseason,” he said. “One of the things that is resonating in each locker room is the idea that if teams are not just evaluating players differently but are less inclined to be the last team standing, how that is affecting everything that goes on during the offseason, whether free-agent related or trade-related? It’s all connected in such a way that guys are questioning the competitive integrity of the system.”

With the team undergoing a rebuild that was publicly spelled out last summer, Oakland’s payroll currently stands at $70.5 million. The union has taken issue with the lack of spending: The A’s were included along with the Rays, Marlins and Pirates when the union filed in a grievance over teams’ failure to spend revenue-sharing checks. Major League Baseball responded in a statement that it believes the grievance has no merit; the matter will go to arbitration if not settled.

“I can confirm we did file those grievances and we filed those grievances against the backdrop of what we do not believe are teams abiding by the obligations that they have,” Clark said. “We evaluate every team every offseason and the decisions that were made with those four teams are indicative of those concerns.”

Oakland’s inability to find a new stadium to date plays a role in the team’s small budget, and the slow pace of the stadium quest led to owners deciding to phase the A’s out of revenue sharing over a four-year period. Oakland has lost half of its revenue-sharing check to date, but still made about $20 million this winter.

The union is monitoring the stadium search carefully because the issue is always cited as the reason for the lack of spending.

“We have an interest for every team to be as well-positioned as it can be in order to be successful,” Clark said. “Obviously, we’re not involved directly in a new stadium or a team moving but we keep a close eye on what the possibilities may be. ... It is something we watch, and it is a concern.”

The A’s repeatedly have said their sole focus is on locating a new ballpark in Oakland and that ownership has no plans to move the team elsewhere.

Oakland second baseman Jed Lowrie, who has been an active union member, said that the slow offseason was “a huge issue. Every player is learning that everyone is connected, every salary is connected. This game is a small family.”