NEW YORK -- Claiming the New York Yankees stopped paying Cuban defector Andy Morales in violation of his contract, the players association filed a grievance against the team Tuesday.

Morales defected from Cuba last July and signed a $4.5 million, four-year contract March 11. He hit just .231 with one homer and 14 RBIs in 160 at-bats with Norwich of the Double-A Eastern League, and the Yankees say the third baseman is three years older than he claims.

When they announced the signing, the team said Morales was 26.

"We have not yet seen anything from the Yankees that supports their contention. They've just asserted that," union lawyer Bob Lenaghan said. "The Yankees have an obligation to pay him a portion of his signing bonus and the salary they've withheld."

Morales' contract called for a $500,000 signing bonus, half payable upon approval and half on June 15, and salaries of $500,000 this year, $1.1 million in 2002 and $1.2 million in each of the final two seasons.

Lenaghan said the Yankees did not make the June 15 bonus payment, and did not pay Morales his salary on June 30 or July 15.

"He's still on the Norwich Navigators' roster, as I understand it," Lenaghan said. "They asked the commissioner's office to remove him from the roster, but baseball has not acted on that request."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman declined comment, and Morales' agent, Gus Dominguez, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

Morales is best known for his three-run homer for Cuba's national team in a 12-6 exhibition game victory against Baltimore at Camden Yards in 1999.

"I just saw him in spring training," Yankees manager Joe Torre said in Philadelphia. "I don't know anything about it. I just deal with the baseball."

New York has signed several Cuban defectors, including Orlando Hernandez, a member of the Yankees' starting rotation since 1998.

Hernandez, in the final season of a $6.6 million, four-year contract, claims to be 31, but documents show his actual age is 35.