With a worldwide pandemic halting the run-up to the regular season, we’ve seen Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association engaged on a variety of complicated subjects. The sheer uncertainty of the situation has created major concerns for just about everyone involved in the game — some of whom are much better situated than others to take care of themselves.
The MLBPA has acted to provide emergency funds to certain players who are now staring at a potential loss and delay of wages. It has initiated a program to provide a $1,100 weekly stipend to players that depart camp.
That effort was initially rather limited but has now been broadened to cover a wider class of MLB players. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter), the MLBPA will now offer the sum through April 9th to all players who were on a 40-man roster as of March 13th of this year, even if they were already on optional assignment. Also included are all non-roster invitees to big league camps who accrued at least one day of MLB service in the 2019 season.
Quite a few big leaguers have no real need for that kind of support, though it’s not fair to paint with overly broad strokes for the entire league. Younger and/or less-established players may not have accrued significant earnings at all to this point of their careers.
That said, the effort doesn’t address the biggest player-related need in the game: that of the many minor-leaguers who have now been thrust into quite a tough position. Those players were unexpectedly sent home rather than continuing to participate in Spring Training. And they’ve been counting on their earnings to start back up again with the new season, which now won’t occur for some time.
It’s an unusual situation, but these are unusual times. Emily Waldon of The Athletic has become an unlikely nexus point for minor-leaguers in need of some form of assistance or job opportunity and those willing to help them out. (See, e.g., this Twitter link.)
Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports on the difficulties faced by those non-40-man players. The matter is on the table to be addressed between the league and union, he says, but the salary situation of big league players is first on the docket.
The Rays have promised their minor-leaguers a $400 weekly stipend through the end of the month. The Mets and Dodgers have done the same, per Kyle Glaser of Baseball America. Some other teams are working to do the same, per Glaser, but it is obviously a situation that seems to demand leaguewide action.
It’s an especially tough spot for these hopeful future big leaguers, Dougherty explains, because they aren’t sure what type of employment to seek given the possibility of the season re-starting. The always difficult tradeoffs of immediate practicalities and long-term dreams are already proving tougher than ever.
One might hope that the league and union act quickly to provide at least temporary relief for these players. It’s one of several major problems with numerous dimensions. And that’s all before considering the fact that many stadium workers and other seasonal employees in big league cities are now looking at lost anticipated earnings with the season on hold.
So the players who have already gotten paid, get paid. And the players who haven’t been paid are ignored. Every single owner could personally fund a similar stipend for every one of his MiLB players.
absolutely!
This goes to show the players union does not care about minor leaguers. Veterans have always sold out the younger players for own gain, by agreeing to the free agency and arbitration process, this is further proof. You can’t expect much from owners, but the players association should be doing more for their future members and specially those (the majority) that will never make it but yet play an important role in getting those lucky few up to the show.
That’s because the player Union is the Major League player Union not Minor league player Union.
Simplistic response from a simple mind
Simplistic or not, WAH is correct.
Just because he used small words you can understand and agree with doesn’t mean it is correct
WAH just stated the obvious but did not address your point. I agree with whynot
Agree
Given how little most of them make, the teams really should commit to paying minor league players their entire 2020 salary. They usually don’t make any money in camp but do start once the minor league season starts (early April). At least start paying them at that point. So many teams and players are starting funds for workers affected by the shutdown, but many of them actually earn more than many minor league players. Baseball needs to do the right thing.
This is absolutely moronic. The vast majority of these guys have banked enough money at this point to handle this. It’s the minor leaguers and stadium workers that should be getting this.
The owners are displaying the depth of their humanity. If ever there was a time to put your billions to good use.
Emily Waldon, not Waldron
Gah, thanks.
Double whammy for the minor leaguers. Not only don’t they get paid, but they are not getting an opportunity to play and advance to the majors. Player development is frozen until this issue is resolved
how much do you want to bet major league players open their wallets before owners do :/
How does the money aspect of this work – aka where does it come from? Do the players pay into the union and the MLBPA has a honey pot with which to send out?
every union collects and saves funds to be used in lock-out, walk-out and other emergencies.
Which has likely already been largely drawn down. Hence the massive bailouts the Fed is trying to implement to help stop the bleeding and utter destruction of capital.
Cash is going to run low for everyone.
@whynot is exactly correct!!!!!!!! Great take.
Not to mention the minor league umpires. They make
a third of their season salary
working spring training games
and it’s an audition for the show…..
Guess Manfred doesn’t have to worry about contracting the minor leagues. A lot of those teams won’t survive according to reports…..