Throughout the spring of 1946, the Pasquel brothers of the Mexican League had been making enticing offers to many low-paid Major Leaguers perpetually bound to their teams by the reserve clause. The trio of Cardinals were the latest group to accept. In an attempt to slow this exodus, Chandler banned all players who broke their existing contracts to join the Mexican League, including Klein, from Organized Baseball for a span of five years. On June 5, 1949, Chandler lifted the bans on the Mexican League jumpers, and eleven days later, Klein returned to the Cardinals. "The Sporting News" reported that he paid $1,500 out of his own pocket to buy his release from his independent club in the Quebec Provincial League to rejoin Organized Baseball.