MLB News: Baseball Has a Decision on Minor League Pay During Hiatus
MLB is making things right with their players in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. After agreeing to player-friendly deals with the player’s union in regards to service time, the pay of minor league players was the next thing to be discussed.
As it turns out, the league is more than willing to work with minor leaguers. That is interesting, considering that MLB has not historically taken very good care of their lower-level players. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that that league will continue to pay minor leaguers $400 a week until at least June.
Good news: All minor league players will be receiving $400 a week from Major League Baseball teams through at least May 31, source tells ESPN. They’ll receive medical benefits, too. Announcement by the league is expected soon.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 31, 2020
The $400 a week stipend may not sound like much, but it is actually a raise for lower minor league players. Veteran players will fall short of their expected salaries, but this is still very much a win for MLB and their minor leaguers.
MLB still does not have an estimated start date for baseball, so the May 31st date does not reflect any anticipated change in schedule. There are still far too many unknowns to predict when baseball will be able to start back up. This agreement would be addressed again if baseball is pushed back even further, or worse, canceled altogether this year.
MLB is also making sure that minor league players have their medical benefits covered. This is a key aspect of the deal, which could have left injured or rehabbing players without any options for medical care. Overall, it’s a good move for the league, no matter how little the pay.
NEXT: Justin Turner and Joc Pederson Affected by New MLB Agreement
