Minor league baseball players are on the cusp of the first collective bargaining agreement in their history.
The deal provides significant salary raises at each level, according to The Athletic.
- Minimum annual salaries at the complex league and rookie ball will rise from $4,800 to $19,800.
- At Single-A, they will jump from $11,000 to $26,200.
- Double-A players’ minimum salaries rise from $13,800 to $30,250.
- Triple-A players will go from $17,500 to $35,800.
MLB will also make improvements to minor league players’ housing situations.
Double-A and Triple-A players will have their own bedrooms, while players at lower levels will either receive housing or a stipend. Spouses and children will be included in club housing plans.
Other details in the agreement — which is expected to be ratified soon by minor league players and MLB owners — include NIL rights, new drug and domestic violence policies, the creation of a nutrition committee, and the use of a third-party arbiter to resolve disputes between teams and players.
In all, the changes are expected to cost MLB $90 million annually — a figure that could top $100 million, factoring in all benefits.
The MLBPA, which represents minor league players as of last September, was seeking to reach an agreement with MLB by Opening Day. No lockout or strike was planned in the event that the two sides didn’t arrive at a deal by that time.
