Relations between MLB and minor league players have not always been good. However, it can be said that it now seems to be going in the right direction, as evidenced by the first-ever collective agreement for underage players.
The pact, which must be approved by Major League Baseball’s owners, will span a five-year period. During the term of this new collective agreement, wages will double for players playing in the minor ranks.
Salaries and living conditions in the lower echelons had been major points of contention for several years. This is therefore a step in the right direction and a form of justice that has been long awaited from the side of the MiLB.
Better late than never.
Another point added to the agreement: players who sign with an MLB club at the age of 19 or older will now be under the control of the team for a period of six years rather than seven previously.
There is still a lot of work to do to ensure that minor league players are paid their fair value and that they play in decent conditions, but the efforts that are being made to move forward in this direction cannot be overlooked.
