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Jeff PassanESPN
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- ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
LOS ANGELES – Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday that he “rejects[s] the premise “that minor league players do not receive a decent salary, which sparked a barrage of criticism a day after the Senate Judiciary Commission in a letter asked about the league ‘s treatment of minor league players.
When asked if the owners can’t afford to pay more to minor league players or simply choose not to, Manfred said, “I reject the premise of the question that minor league players don’t get paid We have made real strides in recent years in terms of paying minor league players, even leaving aside the signing bonuses that many of them have already received.They receive housing, which is obviously another form of compensation.I just reject the premise of the question.. I don’t know what else to say about it. “
In a follow-up, Manfred reiterated: “I reject the premise that they are not paid a decent salary.”
Although minor league salaries have risen in recent seasons and this year’s teams are required to provide housing for the first time, most minor league players ’salaries are below the poverty line. Players who are not on the list of 40 players or experienced in the major leagues receive between $ 4,800 and $ 14,700 a year and are only paid during the season, so many supplement their income during the low season while trying. prepare for next year.
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“Most minor league baseball players work second because their annual salaries are insufficient to reach the end of the month,” said Harry Marino, executive director of Advocates for Minor Leaguers. “The commissioner is charged an annual salary of $ 17.5 million. His suggestion that minor league pay is acceptable is insensitive and false.”
Earlier this week, the MLB filed a $ 185 million class action lawsuit against minor leagues alleging violations of the minimum wage and overtime by teams. The deal, which covers more than 20,000 players, will distribute more than $ 120 million to the entire group and calls for MLB to allow teams to pay minor league players during spring training, extended spring training and leagues. of instruction.
The letter from the judiciary to Manfred on Monday questioned the need for the league’s centennial antitrust exemption, especially with regard to minor leagues. He also delved into corruption in Latin America, a relevant issue with a deadline of July 25 for MLB and the MLB Players Association to agree on a framework for an international draft.