It won’t be long before the National League standings in MLB start to attract plenty of attention as the 2023 season is now underway. This MLB season is going to look and feel much different as there have been some new rules put in play to help speed up the game.
There was plenty of talk about those rule changes during Spring Training, but that wasn’t the only thing going on behind the scenes. MLB and MLBPA were also working on a deal that would allow players in the minor leagues to get more money.
Just as the regular season was set to begin, it was announced that a deal had been reached. While those players at the lower levels in the Minor League are not going to get rich, they should be able to live more comfortably than they have in the past.
Minor Leaguers Ratify New Deal
It was the MLBPA that worked closely with MLB in order to get a new deal on the table, but that was only one step. Most members of the MLBPA spent some time in the Minor League system, and they know how hard it was to afford to live during those playing days.
MLB recently made a decision to eliminate a number of Minor League teams, and that had a massive impact on the overall economic structure of baseball. With fewer teams and players in the system, there was a chance to pay the current players more money.
After a deal was agreed upon by the MLBPA and MLB, it was up to the minor leaguers to ratify the new deal. A vote was held, and 99% of the current players in the Minor League system voted to approve the new five-year deal.
The next step is for the owners in MLB to approve the new deal, and that vote is expected to take place before the middle of April. Even though MLB owners are typically hesitant to hand out more money, it seems that both sides are in agreement on this issue.
Teams use the Minor Leagues as a chance to evaluate prospects, but it’s also used as a way to get MLB players some extra work when they are returning from injury. MLB has been using the Minor League system as a way to test out new rule changes, and those new rules are now at the big league level.
There are still some players in the Minor League system that won’t be impacted by the new pay structure, as some players have agreements with their Major League team. Minor League teams also have to pay for housing and meals for Minor League players, which hasn’t always been the case with this system.
According to MLB, there are about 5,500 Minor League players that are represented as a part of this new agreement, and those players were allowed to vote.
Pay Raises Coming
This new deal discusses a lot of things that will change the current Minor League system, but an increase in pay was the most important part of the new deal. Every player that is signed to a deal will see their pay at least doubled in 2023, but some levels are going to see an even bigger increase.
Here is a breakdown of the changes that are coming to the pay scale for Minor League players, and those are now effective immediately. Players are the rookie ball level will see their pay increased from $4,800 to $19,800 this season.
Single-A players had been receiving a salary of just $11,000, but they will now be receiving $26,200 this season. High-A players used to get the same $11,000, but that pay has been boosted to $27,300 this season.
Double-A players will receive $27,300 this season as well, and that’s an increase from the $13,800 that they used to get. At the highest level in the Minor Leagues, Triple-A, players will see their pay jump from $17,500 to $35,800.
Another major change is that players will receive their money throughout the calendar year as opposed to only being paid during the season.