MLBPA, MLB Agree to Historic Minor League CBA; Would Increase MiLB's Minimum Salaries
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVMarch 30, 2023
On the eve of Opening Day for the 2023 season, Major League Baseball reportedly reached a deal with minor league players in the MLBPA that will provide the first collective bargaining agreement for minor leaguers in history, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Passan noted the deal is for five years and will dramatically increase the pay for players across all levels of minor league baseball:
Jeff Passan @JeffPassanDetails on pay increases in the minor leagues:<br><br>Complex league: From $4,800 per year to $19,800<br>Low-A: $11,000 to $26,200<br>High-A: $11,000 to $27,300<br>AA: $13,800 to $30,250<br>AAA: $17,500 to $35,800<br><br>Players will be paid almost year-round, aside from a six-week break in the winter.
Evan Drellich of The Athletic noted the agreement still needs to be approved by a player vote, but the expectation is that will happen by midnight Friday in time for Opening Day of the minor league schedule.
Yet even if it doesn't pass Friday, there are no planned strikes from the players or lockouts from the owners that would lead to a work stoppage in minor league baseball.
In addition to the increase in pay, players will also have a formal grievance procedure in the new agreement. What's more, there will be no contraction of teams.
This comes months after the MLBPA unionized minor leaguers for the first time in history.
The shift to unionization came after the treatment of minor leaguers came under more of a spotlight as social media was used to highlight some of the difficulties players had with finding adequate housing on their salaries, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when fewer host-family options were available.
Playing during just the summer made it all the more difficult to find affordable apartments as well.
Yet MLB decided to provide housing for minor leaguers ahead of the 2022 season. It was a step in the direction of more workers' rights for the players, and they now are on track to have a CBA for the first time as well, following the latest developments.
There were some concessions, though.
Passan noted the agreement includes a "reduction of the Domestic Reserve List, which governs the number of players a team can roster outside of Latin America, from 180 to 165 starting in 2024. The union, which does not include players at teams' Dominican Republic complexes as part of its bargaining unit, fought MLB's efforts to reduce the reserve list during the lockout last year."