In a typical season, spring training camps begin in mid-late February and feature a large swath of players with varying levels of experience. Given the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, however, MLB is considering a staggered start to 2021 spring training for minor-league players, reports Evan Drellich of the Athletic.
If MLB were to adopt a staggered reporting system, higher-level players (likely those at Triple-A or in the majors) would be the only group to report to spring training at its typical start date, Drellich reports. Lower-level players would report to spring camps only after the higher-level players have dispersed to start their regular seasons (MLB’s Opening Day is currently scheduled for April 1), thus minimizing human contact.
Of course, delaying the start of lower-minors players’ spring training would necessitate delaying the start of their regular season. They would still need a few weeks, at minimum, to work their way into game shape. Drellich suggests a potential mid-May start date for lower-minors teams in this scenario.
Nothing is yet set in stone, it should be noted. It’s not even guaranteed we’ll have minor-league games in 2021. The timetable for widespread deployment of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is far from certain, as is the extent of varying municipalities’ willingness to sign off on minor-league play next season. Indeed, using the 2020 alternate site system again remains a possibility, per Drellich. The resources available to MLB teams for testing and distancing procedures generally aren’t available to minor-league owners. That creates further challenges in guaranteeing those players’ safety, as Drellich discusses with MiLB player advocate Garrett Broshuis.
All this comes during a time of uncertainty about the relationship between MLB and MiLB. The Professional Baseball Agreement that links the parties expired this month. Drellich notes there’s an expectation that a new PBA will come together this winter. That agreement will almost certainly involve the contraction of some teams at the lowest levels, a move MLB angled for even before the pandemic began.
why delay their development further when they can just have seperate camps?
No kidding! Do we have to do all their thinking for them?!?!
I thought the exact same thing they have like 2-3 fields at every spring training facility so have them play on the back fields
They have multiple fields in spring facilities, but do they have multiple clubhouses? I don’t think so. And that’s where most of the danger is, not on the field or even in the dugout.
That said, they should be able to make additional clubhouses out of large tents like the Blue Jays did for the visiting clubhouse tent in Buffalo. Or just have them train at their minor league home parks.
that makes to much sense!
Knock it off Darkside!
Bc owners are done for the most part w minor leagues. There done having 7/8 more teams to manage, employ, deal w host cities crap government and on and on. So they use the ol covid excuse as a forced reduction when in reality a reduction has been on the books for a very long time.
there’s tons of money to be made at lesser levels of baseball. Owners should, but never will be, truthful through media w their plans and encourage other leagues to form. Have 3A and major owned by baseball and let these other independent leagues form. They’ll be profitable and owners will not have the extra expense and obligations. Win/win.
MLB has been pretty straight forward with their plans. They want four levels of organized minor leagues with all others at the spring training site. All teams would have a AAA, AA, High A, and Low A team. The short-season leagues would be eliminated.
They haven’t hid this.
Yes. They. Have.
And that’s exactly what’s going on here. They have a chance to ramp up the speed of what they wanting to achieve so they slow play minors at the expense of everyone involved instead of being transparent with there agenda !
Why would they want those lower levels ? 1 in 10 players come from later than 3rd round in draft yet teams spend millions to develop players into end of bench or AAA every day players. And when your that rich- the hassle to manage that is more of a burden than actually paying for it. So let college baseball bare more of that load. Let independent leagues bare more of that load and stop trying to do it and control it all.
Owners are classic Corp America guys though- they’ll go out of the way for a chance to lie to you rather than stand there and tell you the truth
No. They. Haven’t..
They announced they wanted to reduce the number of teams to 120. 30 MLB team times four levels of minors equals 120 teams.
The contracted teams are primarily in the short season leagues, except the few that actually draw fans, and those are replacing full season league teams that either don’t draw or have poor stadium situations.
They also want to go to a 20 round draft, instead of the current 40.
All of this has been out there for quite some time.
No on multiple levels. First, MLB teams have little to no financial interest in their minor league teams outside of rookie league teams that play at their spring training complexes. MLB teams sign affiliation contracts with minor league teams, agreeing to provide them with players and coaches and to pay said players and coaches but the business side of the franchise (stadium, revenue and other expenses) are the responsibility of the minor league team owners.
Second, MLB teams have nearly 200 players under minor league contract. If every league below AAA was an independent (unaffiliated) league, where would those players play? Who would coach and develop those players? Do you think the Tigers want to leave the development of Spencer Torkelson to coaches and instructors they didn’t hire?
Third, independent league teams struggle financially. due in large part to not having players affiliated with MLB teams. In 2019 the Atlantic League, genuinely accepted as the best of the independent leagues, had an average game attendance of less than 3500 fans and only 1 of its 8 teams had an average attendance greater than 5000. The vast majority of teams AA and lower are not located in areas with a large population to draw from, and losing the MLB affiliation would make it even more difficult.
MLB owners want to save the half million dollars or so it would cost per team to hold separate camps.
Enough.
No season next year , stop the economy , I’m still afraid !
just wear your mask and you’ll be okay
Wear your mask and OTHER people will be ok. The mask isn’t to protect you, its to keep the water vapor that is leaving your system close to you instead of being sprayed 6-24 feet depending on your activity.
@larmondo, timw, DTD, & CFA.
Pretty much.
I came to the full realization when I was…man, 3?,4?…that outside can be dangerous.
I chose to not let that get in my way. It appears I’m not the only one who made the same decision.
Keep it up, fellas.
IMO, plan to start spring training for all the players at the usual time. Easier to back things up if needed than to move things forward. And yes, have a plan B, and C, D, etc.
I’m expecting a bubble situation for the minors. All levels playing all games at the spring training sites.
thousands of players playing in one area? I doubt they will do that. also MLB teams cannot afford another year of no baseball they will not survive unless that is MLB goal.
The safety of players and employees are more important than minor league baseball surviving. Getting close to a full season of game experience for prospects is more important than minor league baseball surviving.
Between players, coaches and staff, each team would have about 250 people at their own spring training site.
It’s easier to contain 250 or so people in one spot than those 250 people spread out in multiple locations all over the country not under direct team supervision.
Pdx – it’s seems others can’t have a civil discussion because an idiot has to interject and ruin it for all. Your comment was that “a heartless jerk that doesn’t care about the welfare of other people.” Are you completely dismissing the welfare of the minor leaguers who wouldn’t play and this not have a job or chance to succeed with their god-given talents? Grow up already, you people who are “inclusive To all people” are a joke. So many ways to tear your arguments apart but I’d have to dive into other aspects of life and this is a baseball forum. Please educate yourself
Anyone that thinks a baseball player getting experience is more important than the lives of others IS a heartless jerk that doesn’t care about the welfare of others.
And if growing up means no longer caring if other people die, call me a Toys R Us kid.
Especially when those lower level minor league players are making less than minimum wage and living 4 guys to a 2 bedroom apartment for most of the minor league season.
A bubble system where the MLB team pays all the expenses and the minor league players are housed at the spring training facility makes a lot of sense.
For that reason it will not happen.
The only reason there is a “Bubble” is TV revenue. No TV revenue for Minor Leagues means no season just like 2020. We need a Vaccine that Works and not one that is Politically driven.
Vaccines are only an effective treatment if a critical mass of people are getting it. I have heard from many of my anti-vaxxer, far right leaning, and especially Qanon leaning acquaintances that they have no intention of taking the vaccine. If enough people don’t participate, it cannot be effective.
Minor League owners are the ones really suffering because of Covid. Most MLB teams, even if they’re leveraged, have enough financial wherewithal to get by, even in the face of the pandemic. Lots of MiLB owners, especially on the lower levels, operate on a shoe string. In that sense, the restructuring of the minors is almost a godsend.
I’ve said before that Player Development is about to undergo some major changes. Teams annually spend 15-20M a year (between expenses and bonuses) for a system that if you produce one utility infielder and a 5th starter a year, you’ve had a GREAT year. Some teams (we all know who they are) navigate the system pretty well; most don’t. So expect some serious changes.
Almost all major leaguers, from the bench players to eventual inner-circle HOFers come up through the minors. A $15-20M yearly expense to develop your entire current and future product is…nothing. It’s a cheap investment.
I’m not questioning change. I’m questioning those who think it’s expensive. It’s pennies. It’s also a great way to develop future fans.
It truly is pennies compared to the bonuses paid to future Tommy John recipients. The colleges overuse them, and those kids want to push it to get noticed.
Of course, if players are pushed in college until their arms break or they prove their arms won’t then we’ll get the same as we used to have pre-90’s – namely pitchers in the majors who can go 9 innings. The ones who can’t will have had their careers ended before they began or will already be in the pen due to college. For ML owners that is a pure win. For the kids it isn’t of course, but no one watches out for them (owners have zero interest, players union only cares once they are in the majors, etc.)
Considering that its actually 1/4 to 1/3 of what he tried to claim, it really is pennies in MLB terms.
Even adding in the bonuses for signing amateur talent, it barely comes to the $15-20 million per year range.
What MLB is going to do isn’t a secret. They are going to four levels for every team, AAA, AA, High A, Low A. All other player at the spring training site for the entire season. Eliminate the short-season leagues.
And the minor leagues may contract even further if the class action lawsuit over minimum wage for minor leaguers from 2009-2919 goes forward. So support your indy teams in your area. They may be all there is after AAA and AA.
MLB spent a total of $145 million on player development. Roughly $5 million per team. That is for all players, coaches, training staff, medical staff, front office staff and roving instructors, and everything else. About the cost of 1 MLB middle reliever per team.
A source for that number please. The signing bonus pool for the 2020 draft alone was $236 million.
@larmondo, timw, DTD, & CFA.
Pretty much.
I came to the full realization when I was…man, 3?,4?…that outside can be dangerous.
I chose to not let that get in my way. It appears I’m not the only one who made the same decision.
Keep it up, fellas.
I’d keep one short season league going and have 5 teams per franchise. That lowest level helps the 18-year old high school draftee, the college players who sign early, the international signing of teenagers whom are considered projects. With all teams having at least 6 minor league teams and some have as many as 8, cutting it down to 5 seems more reasonable from a development standpoint.
That is the plan. That’s been the plan since the beginning It’s just that instead of being in Bluefield, West Virginia or Missoula, Montana, those lower level players will be at the spring training complex.
All 30 MLB teams will have a team at the four full-season levels, plus a short season team at the spring training complex.
I don’t care if MLB wants to contract the minor leagues. I just want the kids to get paid a fair wage.