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If they employ the players year-round, then their claim of minor leaguers as “seasonal employees” is shot and their legal protection for sub-minimum wage salaries is lost. (I am not defending owners, just explaining what I think could be the reason why they do not do what CC suggests.)
MLB suggested sweeping changes to the minor leagues, including a potentially significant increase in salaries, better living conditions and improved travel, during a bargaining session with the group that oversees the minors, sources tell ESPN.
News: https://t.co/dh7M1QgKqI
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 18, 2019
I agree the minor leagues need a payroll overhaul but the caterwauling over facilities and bus trips just spare me right there. It used to be a rite of passage to ride those buses to realize your dreams of someday playing in the majors. It’s not like they have to travel 12 hours although I’d be a little unhappy if I was Burlington or a team in the Quad Cities having to travel all the way to Dayton for game.
I think there are a few 12 hour bus rides in the Texas League. (Springfield-San Antonio) Colorada Springs in now in the pioneer league and will have 13+ hour bus rides to Idaho Falls.
For those of you that dont know, in 2019 SA no longer is in the Texas league. They are now in the AAA PCL which a city of their size deserves to be. Amarillo takes their place.
Mo is in a wait and see approach on minor league salaries and benefits.
I have another “minor leaguers get the shaft” article queued up for tomorrow with a new problem yet to be talked about.
Update: Here it is.
This is the worst week of the year for minor league players.
They’re assigned to their affiliates and must find housing where they need to come up with first month, security deposit and other things while they haven’t gotten a single paycheck since September, 2018.
— Rafa Nieves (@mlb_agent) March 30, 2019
Thanks for the heads up on this thread Brian. I think I will go and recopy my game posts on this subject to this thread also so we can keep it alive. Most of what I mention happened in March 2019.
I know I am preaching to the choir with this but off and on I have tried to check on minor league pay issues and just ran across this article about the Blue Jays raising the pay of their minors by 50%. But the article has a lot that I never knew about how MLB is doing a real screw job on the geese that lay the golden eggs for them – the minor leagues. If you have a moment read this:
https://tinyurl.com/yy7xrwxeThis is a real lopsided situation and I have seen evidence of it in Springfield with locals offering food and lodging and other things to the local Cardinal players. Really makes one wonder how some of the marginal guys can even hang on for as long as they do. I guess their dreams take a while to end.
Same subject as above but here is another article – published same day – that says MLB may be starting to feel the heat.
https://tinyurl.com/yxdpnm3rStill, the minors have no big voice to stand up for them. Is Michael Avenatti still available…….LOL
I think an Avanti type (though not him specifically) is what it will take to get the visibility the issue warrents.
One more question. I have researched this before and thought I found an answer but can no longer find it. A player on the 40 man is called up and is paid the MLB minimum – prorated for his time in the majors. If he is sent back down to the minors he is paid that prorated minimum for as long as he plays regardless of what level he is at. Is that correct?
Also, is it true that players on the 40 man are paid much higher than the minor league minimums?
Pessimistic outcome: MLB pressures already far less profitable minor league teams to cover player salary increases under threat of contraction.
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 9, 2019
Yes a result of this may lead to the decrease in the number of minor league teams or at least the number affiliated with a MLB team. But do the Cardinals really need nine minor league teams? (Yes I know they had 30 or so under Branch Rickey). I guess it depends if you are talking about a structure designed primarily for the support of the big league club or not. Having a minor league club just for the entertainment of the local community is a different purpose than being a pipeline of the big league club.
On the other hand bumping up the pay for 300 minor leaguers might not cost any more money than one year of Greg Holland or Brett Cecil.
No one forced the Cardinals to have all nine minor league teams. They made choices for competitive reasons – but if all organizations collude (I mean work together) to contract, then no one org is the bad guy when teams like the Johnson City Cards are shut down after 50 years of affiliation, for example.
P.S. The more 16-year olds they sign, the more years of development time is going to be needed before they are ready. Where are they all going to play?
This is all about making someone else pay the bill to give minor leaguers a decent salary when MLB can easily afford it without years of committees and negotiations (threats).
Any increase in minimum wage will always lead to lower demand for labor. If they get the raise, there will be less minor leaguers. Is that trade off worth it? That’s where the debate is.
Brian, if MLB teams decide to reduce the number of MiLB teams it is collusion, but if free agency suddenly drops off a cliff it is just a market correction? I know that you are a big advocate of minor league players but the two issues seem to have a common denominator to me, which is MLB owners wanting to maximize profits.
Collusion is not central to the minor league story so I probably shouldn’t have muddied the water by mentioning it. By definition, collective bargaining could be considered a form of colluding, so not all of it has an illegal connotation.
My main point is that if one organization shut down a bunch of minor league teams on their own, they would be lambasted and probably sued at every turn. But when MLB does it (after the teams turn down the ransom demand to cover more of the players salaries), they will just lobby legislators to get another law passed to protect them. (See “Save America’s Pastime Act”)
MLB will negotiate with Minor League Baseball (team owners), but the minor league players have no representation at the table for the decisions that can materially affect their future.
I agree that MLB owners trying to maximize profits is behind most of their behavior.
IMO, minor league salaries is a far bigger and more pervasive problem than major league free agency. For all the whining in the off-season, that strike talk just melted away as the paychecks started flowing again.
Summarizing many of my points already made here.
Rob Manfred says MLB wants minor leaguers to be paid "correctly". But who will foot the bill and what collateral damage may ensue? I highlight my concerns over MLB's potential path forward. https://t.co/DGNtl4gsSa pic.twitter.com/TmYoIjdRup
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 10, 2019
If any MiLB teams have to contract because of increased salaries its proof that MLB owners are cheapskates. The Cardinals have 338 players under contract. Minus all the DSL players, and players signed to begin the DSL next season, thats 87 guys leaving 251 guys under contract. For a mere $7,530,000 they could pay all 251 guys $30,000 a year.
“…its proof that MLB owners are cheapskates…”
Additional proof is not required. This is one way the rich get richer.
MLB’s revenue last year was $10.3 BILLION. Surely they could pay their employees a fair wage without seeking handouts from others – yet that is precisely what they are expected to do.
Brian, is it right that minor leaguers are NOT paid for spring training? Are they provided anything in the way of housing or food during ST? If true that is a real disgrace.
It is correct that minor leaguers are not paid salaries for any camps, including instructional camp, spring training and extended spring training. The team does provide lodging and feeds them.
WOW. I know I have looked at some of their pay scales and they border on ridiculous in this day and age. If the membership could be made up of long term members (which it is definitely not) a union could probably be formed but it is a bit surprising that some smart group of lawyers hasn’t taken on such a venture as trying to improve working conditions (pay). With enough adverse publicity, MLB could take a real smear in the media and that seems to be what it takes these days to get any results. But then, I am sure the problem has been looked at from all angles and the Players Association probably sees it as detracting from the major league salaries. When does a player become eligible for the PA – when he comes to the major leagues or just on the 40 man?
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