Re: Minor Matters
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:07 am
by joez
Here are 10 sleeper prospects who could make the Top 100 list
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter.
Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com.
March 7, 20234:47 PM CST
We've just completed Top 30 Prospects lists for all 30 organizations -- detailed scouting reports, grades, statistics and videos for 900 potential big leaguers. It's a lot of work but also a lot of fun putting them together, and we hope you enjoy them.
The prospects ranked atop of the Top 30s draw most of the attention, but there are plenty of future stars on those lists who are just beginning to emerge. To prove that point, I've assembled a team of the best prospects who didn't rank in the top 10 in their organization and didn't make our top 10 prospects by position. I also limited the squad to players who have made their pro debuts, because otherwise I could have just gone with an all-ceiling lineup of 2023 international signees.
Several of these guys could play their way onto the Top 100 Prospects list and into the Majors in the next few years:
Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles (No. 12)
Part of the Orioles' renewed commitment to international scouting, Basallo tied for the Rookie-level Florida Complex League lead with six homers in his U.S. debut last summer and stands out with his power and plus arm strength.
Malcom Nunez, 1B, Pirates (No. 16)
Part of the José Quintana/Chris Stratton trade with the Cardinals last August, Nunez makes a lot of hard contact and slammed a career-best 23 homers in 2022.
Cooper Kinney, 2B, Rays (No. 24)
Kinney was one of the most advanced high school hitters in the 2021 Draft, which landed him in the supplemental first round, but he missed all of last year after injuring his shoulder during Spring Training and requiring surgery.
James Triantos, 3B, Cubs (No. 12)
Compared to Alex Bregman and David Wright as an amateur, Triantos has feel for the barrel and makes good swing decisions but needs to add some strength and improve his defense.
Angel Genao, SS, Guardians (No. 14)
The Guardians hoard sweet-swinging international infielders, including Genao, a switch-hitter who's much more advanced at the plate than most 18-year-olds and also has a high baseball IQ.
Alexander Canario, OF, Cubs (No. 11)
After coming to the Cubs in the July 2021 Kris Bryant trade with the Giants, Canario celebrated his first full season with his new organization by smashing 37 homers and fits the right-field profile with his power and arm strength.
Josue De Paula, OF, Dodgers (No. 12)
De Paula could be the breakout prospect of 2023, as he has precocious skills at the plate and could develop into a .300 hitter with 30 homers per season.
Anthony Gutierrez, OF, Rangers (No. 11)
With the potential for four plus tools and solid speed once he's fully developed, Gutierrez may have the most upside in a deep Rangers system.
Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians (No. 21)
The Guardians excel at helping finesse pitchers find more ceiling and their next success story could be Messick, a 2022 second-rounder who had one of the best changeups and some of the best control and command in last year's Draft.
Nick Frasso, RHP, Dodgers (No. 11)
Part of the Mitch White trade with the Blue Jays last August, Frasso has a devastating 95-100 mph fastball with arm-side run and impressive extension, and he also can miss bats with his changeup and slider.
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Re: Minor Matters
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:01 pm
by joez
FILED UNDER:
ANALYSIS & EDITORIALS
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS PROSPECTS & MINOR LEAGUES
Finding the next José Ramírez
If you had to bet on a middle-infield Guardians prospect becoming a franchise icon, who would be the choice?
By Quincy Wheeler Mar 25, 2023, 12:00pm EDT
Let’s make one thing clear: José Ramírez is one of a kind and should be considered irreplaceable.
Now, with that caveat out of the way, we know that the Guardians have been accumulating middle-infield prospects for years and prioritizing players with incredible hit tools who can develop power. Almost like they are trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that is José Ramírez.
As a prospect, Ramírez showed an uncanny ability to make consistent contact and avoid walks and strikeouts, advancing him through the Cleveland system at a young age. What makes his story so special, however, is his development of power at the major-league level.
Through all of his minor-league and first 1,000 major-league plate appearances, José’s isolated power was in the .100-.110 range. Since Aug 1. 2016, he has put up a .265 ISO. Put another way, he has crushed 279 home runs in 3,700 plate appearances compared to hitting 24 in his first 2,600 professional plate appearances: an increase from .009 home runs per plate appearance to an astounding .075. He has also played gold-glove-level defense and anchored the middle of the Guardians’ order, making him a franchise icon and giving him at least an outside shot at the Hall of Fame.
It would have been impossible to predict the kind of breakout from Ramírez that we have seen, and it would be ludicrous to suggest any prospect can repeat it today. But, for the purposes of this article ... it won’t stop us from trying.
José Ramírez’s minor-league stats
Ramírez’s at Rookie (18 years old): 108 wRC+, 8.2/3.4 K/BB%, .124 ISO
Ramírez’s at High-A (19 years old): 145 wRC+, 8.3/7.7 K/BB%, .108 ISO
Ramírez’s at Double-A (20 years old): 88 wRC+. 7.7/7.3 K/BB%, .077 ISO
My proposal is this: If we take José’s minor-league statistics and compare them to switch-hitting middle-infielders in the Guardians system, which of the current croup would be the best guess to follow a similar trajectory as our 5’8”, 190 lb hero?
Switch-hitting middle infield options in the Cleveland system
Angel Martinez, 21 years old, 6’, 165 lbs
19 years old at Single-A: 92 wRC+, 20.8/10.1 K/BB%, .141 ISO
20 years old at High-A: 139 wRC+, 17.5/12.1 K/BB%, .189 ISO
20 years old at Double-A: 120 wRC+, 17.5/11.1 K/BB%, .207 ISO
While he’s an exciting, switch-hitting middle-infielder, Angel Martinez’s strikeout rates are double what Ramírez’s were and he’s got a good four inches on him in height. He’s also almost doubled Ramirez’s ISO numbers in the minors. I think Martinez has a great chance to be an amazing major league player, but probably won’t be that similar to Ramírez in stature and the way he provides his value. If I had to pick a switch-hitting middle-infielder in the Guardians system whom I believe has a good shot to be a future all-star for the team, I’d pick Martinez to follow in José’s footsteps there.
Juan Brito, 21 years old, 5’11”, 162 lbs
A newcomer to the Guardians, some remarked on Juan Brito’s ability to turn on inside pitches and willingness to take walks — similar to José’s in both cases. He also stole 15 bases at Single-A and was caught nine times, while Ramírez stole 15 and was caught six times at the same level. Again, he’s taller than José and José had success at lower levels at a younger age than Brito, so it’s hard to say how similar the two of them will look. Brito is a very exciting young prospect, in any case.
20 years old at Single-A: 129 wRC+, 15.7/14.3 K/BB%, .184 ISO
Angel Genao, 18 years old, 5’9”, 150 lbs
18 years old at Single-A: 60 wRC+, 15.2/12.1 K/BB%, .036 ISO
Angel Genao making his debut at Single-A at 18 years old puts him in the José Ramírez level of advancement. He wasn’t as successful as Jose was but he did show the ability to both take walks and avoid high strikeout rates. Genao posted a low swinging strike percentage of 7.6%, and, while we don’t have the data for the stat from back there, it’s safe to assume that Jose’s swinging strike percentage was also very low when he was in the minors. Genao also stole 16 bases and was caught zero times in the Dominican Summer League, but hasn’t quite carried that base-stealing ability with him to the next levels at which he’s debuted. Perhaps the base-stealing abilities will return as he gets more comfortable. Let’s revisit this potential comparison after Genao, hopefully, gets a chance to experience Single-A in 2023 and see where we are.
Dayan Frias, 20 years old, 5’7”, 150 lbs
20 years old at Single-A: 96 wRC+, 24.9/12.5 K/BB%, .090 ISO
Dayan Frias has a similar height to Ramírez but is almost two years older than Ramírez was when he debuted in Single-A. His strikeout rate also more than triples what José did at that level. However, Frias demonstrated his defense and bat can play at a high level with the Columbia national team in the World Baseball Classic, making him an exciting prospect while still being unlikely to end up in the exact Ramírez career path.
Juan Benjamin, 19 years old, 5’8”, 150 lbs
18 years old at Complex League: 135 wRC+, 19.4/18 K/BB%, .200 ISO
Juan Benjamin ended up playing 3 games in Single-A, showing the ability to control his strikeouts and take his walks. He’s Ramírez’s height and certainly has hit enough to make some legitimate comparisons. Again, this shows how absolutely rare Ramírez’s minuscule strikeout rates were as a minor-league (and now major-league) player, so it’s tough to say that Benjamin will bear much of a resemblance to José, even if he does make the majors.
Welbyn Francisca, 17 years old, 5’9”, 165 lbs
Welbyn Francisca doesn’t have any stats to analyze yet, but take a look at this write-up from FanGraphs, who ranked him as their No. 13 Guardians prospect:
Perhaps the most entertaining hitter from the 2023 international class, Francisca is a switch-hitting bat control savant. He can alter his footwork and bat path to put the barrel on just about anything. Arm strength may limit him to second base, but the bat is the carrying tool here. He didn’t get as much money as lots of the other highly-ranked players in the class, but Francisca’s switch-hitting and up-the-middle fit make him one of its better all-around profiles. He’s the sort of player Cleveland targets in the amateur space, especially internationally
Francisca, like Ramírez, is a little stockier than the other 5’7” - 5’8” switch-hitters on this list, so our best hope for a José clone may be that Welbyn finds his way into Single-A by the end of 2023, shows some minuscule strikeout rates and solid walk-rates and makes himself a menace on the base paths (FanGraphs did put a 55 grade on his run tool). In that case, I think we’d have our man.
Conclusion
Martinez and Brito are very exciting prospects and Guardians fans should be optimistic that both will become successful major league players. I’m most excited, personally, about seeing what kind of player Martinez becomes. However, the most likely players in the Guardians system to potentially follow a similar developmental path while looking similar in body type and skill set to José Ramírez seem to be Angel Genao and Welbyn Francisca.
The existence of José Ramírez is a miracle and since we are talking about a perennial all-star, no one should bet on any player to become José Ramírez. While examining the stats above, his ability to compete at advanced levels at a remarkably young age and to refuse to strike out stands out at even the most cursory of glances. José is José for a reason.
But, since we’re talking about a farm system full of switch-hitting, high-contact young players, it’s always fun to dream.
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Re: Minor Matters
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:29 pm
by TFIR
Cleveland Guardians prospects to watch in 2023
From guys who might contribute in 2023 to some you may have forgotten about, here are the prospects to look out for in the Cleveland minor league system this year
By Quincy Wheeler Mar 22, 2023, 12:00pm EDT 26 Comments / 26 New
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Texas Rangers v. Cleveland Guardians
Photo by Adam Glanzman/MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2022 season saw 17 rookies make their debut for the Cleveland Guardians as they went on to win their division. What prospects might make an impact on the organization in 2023, and who should you keep and eye on as the season progresses?
There are, of course, dozens of evaluators offering prospect analysis for the Guardians, from FanGraphs, to ZiPS, to Baseball Prospectus, to the Athletic, to ESPN, to MLB Pipeline, to Justin Lada and company who do excellent work at Next Year in Cleveland, to your very own Covering the Corner contributors. These lists all offer useful insights on the various names you can watch at a minor-league ballpark near you, with an MiLB TV subscription, or by checking the minor-league box scores or reading CTC’s daily minor-league wrap-up posts during the season.
For our purposes today, I’m going to highlight one player from each of the categories I’ve listed below and offer some general insights into the group listed under each heading.
The “Starting pitchers who might help in 2023” group
Overview: The Guardians have the deserved reputation of being a pitching factory and their system continues to be rich in pitching prospects, some of whom may be appearing at Progressive Field in the near future. The Big Three are the oft-injured-yet-DeGrom-compared Daniel Espino, Tanner Bibee, and Gavin Williams, but there’s plenty to like about Logan Allen — who showed up prominently on several Guardians top-10 lists after putting up a strikeout of around 11 batters per nine innings in Akron in 2022 — as well as Joey Cantillo.
I suspect we are more likely to see Cody Morris in a relief role if he can find a way to put shoulder/back pain behind him as he flashed some exciting stuff in 2022. But, there’s only one name I wanted to highlight ...
Prospect to watch: Tanner Bibee, RHP, 24, AA
I noticed in early June that Tanner Bibee was putting up Shane Bieber-like numbers at Lake County, and he continued to dominate in Akron. Finding an extra 3-4 mph on his fastball has made prospect evaluators stand up and take notice, and he accompanies that 97 mph offering with an excellent slider and changeup, and a solid curve, all thrown with pinpoint control.
If Bibee continues to develop as he did in 2022, he should be in the major league rotation at some point this season.
Other names to know
Daniel Espino, RHP, 22, AA
Gavin Williams, RHP, 23, AA
Logan Allen, LHP, 24, AA
Cody Morris, RHP, 26, MLB
Joey Cantillo, LHP, 23, AA
Konnor Pilkington, LHP, 25
Peyton Battenfield, RHP, 25
Hunter Gaddis, RHP, 24
Xzavion Curry, RHP, 24
The “Position players who might help in 2023” group
(Note: I have left Will Brennan, Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman off this list as players who spent enough time with the major league team in 2022 where many fans are familiar with them, though they technically retain prospect status).
Overview: Guardians fans are hoping that George Valera’s hand heals quickly after whatever additional complications he experienced during spring training after offseason hamate surgery so that he can become their messianic outfielder with the ability to hit for power and get on base. Brayan Rocchio is another talented switch-hitter with solid defensive abilities but may be ticketed for a move to second base. Juan Brito offers amazing contact and on-base ability, and Noel offers incredible power, so both have plenty to dream on. Pries opened some eyes with a great Spring Training, akin to my highlighted player ...
Prospect to watch: Angel Martinez, IF, 21, AA
As a 20-year-old switch-hitter at Double-A, Angel Martinez put up a 120 wRC+ with a 17.5/11.7 K/BB%. After some concerns with his ability to hit left-handed pitching, he even managed to put up fairly even splits in 2022 (.855/.829 OPS against RHP/LHP at Lake County and Akron, combined).
Fans who caught a glimpse of Martinez's play in spring training likely noticed a strong arm and plenty of defensive ability. He also seemed to have added some muscle in the offseason, which makes me wonder if some additional power might make him an option in a corner outfield spot, as well.
Obviously, there are a lot of players in front of Martinez right now and he’s only 21 years old, but don’t be completely surprised if he plays himself into a roster spot in September if he continues to grow and develop as a hitter. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so that’s not a reason to hold him back.
Other names to know
George Valera, OF, 22, AAA
Brayan Rocchio, IF, 22, AAA
Juan Brito, IF, 21, A+
Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/OF, 21, AAA
Micah Pries, 1B/OF, 25, AAA
The “Bo Naylor” group
Overview: The Guardians have one catching prospect of note and his name is ...
Prospect to watch: Bo Naylor, C, 22, AAA
The Guardians are incredibly thin on catching prospects (Manuel Mejias and Jose Cedeno might be some names to watch at the lower levels), so help us, O Bo Naylor-obi, you’re our only hope.
Bo Naylor had a sensational year in the minors in 2022, ending up in Columbus and hitting well there while continuing to show off great speed for a catcher. He showed off a cannon of an arm in spring training and in the World Baseball Classic before heading back to minor-league camp where the team indicated he needed to do some more work before he was ready for the bigs.
It looks to me like he’s struggling with high fastballs, which isn’t unusual for young players. If all goes well, expect Naylor to put in some good work in Columbus for 2-3 months and then come up to split time and learn from Mike Zunino at some point this summer. If everything goes to plan, Naylor comes up in July to split time with Zunino and works himself into being the full-time starter in 2024.
Other name to know
Bryan Lavastida, C, 24, MLB
The “More middle-infield prospects than you can shake a stick at” group
Overview: It’s become a meme, but it is truly incredible how many good second-base and shortstop prospects the Cleveland Guardians have. If you dive into the list below, you’ll see something to like about every player, whether it’s the defensive excellence of Jose Tena and Dayan Fries, the on-base abilities of Jake Fox and Angel Genao, or the raw tools of Nate Furman, Juan Benjamin, and Welbyn Francisco (who found himself ranked as the 13th best Guardians prospect by FanGraphs). They also have four switch-hitters in this group. But, I would like to highlight ...
Prospect to watch: Milan Tolentino, IF, 21, A+-
There’s not much you can tell from spring training games but one thing I always watch for is players who pop out from a crowd. This spring, one of those players was Milan Tolentino.
After absolutely demolishing the competition in Lynchburg with a 144 wRC+, 20-year-old Tolentino earned a promotion to Lake County where he slowed down a bit with a 97 wRC+. What I notice is a hard-nosed approach to defense where he looks to have excellent instincts and a great arm.
If Tolentino can accompany a 10-15% walk-rate with a strikeout rate closer to 20% than 30%, I suspect we will have another good middle-infield prospect on our hands by the end of 2023.
Other names to know
Jose Tena, IF, 21, AA
Dayan Fries, IF, 20, A
Jake Fox, IF, 20, A
Angel Genao, IF, 19, A
Nate Furman, IF, 21, R/A
Juan Benjamin, IF, 19, R
Welbyn Francisco, IF, 17, R
The “What a relief!” group
Overview: The Guardians always seem have some interesting relief arms in their systems. Aside from some veterans signed to minor-league deals like Philip Diehl, Touki Toussaint, Michael Kelly, Caleb Simpson, and Caleb Barager, they also have plenty of relievers with interesting upsides.
Left-hander Tim Herrin has a good shot of making the Opening Day roster. Nick Mikolajchak and Andrew Misiasek (side note: you know you’ve read too much about Guardians baseball when you can spell their names without looking) are dealing with a shoulder and elbow issue, respectively, so we’ll have to see when they begin competing in games. Players like Mason Hickman, Cade Smith, Davis Sharpe, and Tyler Thornton all have at least an outside shot to be useful arms for the major league team if need be. But, today, I’d like to highlight...
Prospect to watch: Ethan Hankins, RHP, 22, A+
This is a make-or-break season for Ethan Hankins, who was coming off Tommy John surgery and was only able to pitch one inning in the complexes in 2022.
However, Guardians Prospective reported Hankins’ activity this spring:
If healthy, Hankins has a plus fastball and slider that could make him an excellent weapon out of the pen, giving him a chance to reward the team’s decision to pick him with the 35th pick in the 2018 draft.
Other names to know
Tim Herrin, LHP, 26, AAA
Nick Mikolajchak, RHP, 25, AAA
Andrew Misiasek, LHP, 25, AAA
Mason Hickman, RHP, 24, A+
Cade Smith, RHP, 23, A+
Davis Sharpe, RHP, 23, A+
Tyler Thornton, RHP, 22, A
The “When you think you have enough pitching, go get more pitching” group
Overview: There are so many fascinating pitchers listed below, you could choose to follow any one of them and have the potential of seeing a huge breakout in 2023. Guardians fans are blessed with an unending number of minor-league arms to enjoy.
Look among prospect gurus and you’ll find your fans of lefties with fun offspeed pitches Doug Nikhazy and Parker Messick, or strike-throwers Trenton Denholm and Jack Leftwich. Perhaps you like guys who sit in the mid-90s with their fastballs with upside for more in Jacob Zibin and Jake Miller, or maybe you root for underdogs like Will Dion whose motion looks like Clayton Kershaw’s but only tops out at 88 mph on his fastball. Me, I’d like to highlight ...
Prospect to watch: Justin Campbell, RHP, 21, R
Justin Campbell was the most exciting pick in the 2022 Guardians draft for me.
He’s a 6’7” right-hander who sits in the mid-90s and has shown a great changeup, a solid slider, and a good curveball, combined with plus command. This sounds exactly like the kind of pitcher the Guardians are usually able to maximize in value, helping them reach higher velocity and refining command and pitch mix.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Campbell dominating the opposition in Double-A Akron at some point in 2023.
Other names to know
Doug Nikhazy, LHP, 23, AA
Parker Messick, LHP, 22, R
Tanner Burns, RHP, 24, AA
Jacob Zibin, RHP, 18, R
Trenton Denholm, RHP, 23, A
Jack Leftwich, RHP, 24, A+
Jake Miller, RHP, 22, A
Tommy Mace, RHP, 24, A+
Will Dion, LHP, 22, A+
Javier Santos, RHP, 19, R
Jackson Humphries, LHP, 18, R
Kendeglys Virguez, RHP, 18, R
The “We can develop outfielders, too!” group
Overview: Some of the most exciting, young players in the Guardians’ system are listed below, with switch-hitters Jaison Chourio and Yerlin Luis and left-handed hitter Wuilfredo Antunez drawing praise from international talent evaluators, and Petey Halpin and Joe Lampe demonstrating the kind of contact, speed, defensive acumen, and grit the organization loves.
However, I’ve chosen a more recent addition to keep my eye on with ...
Prospect to watch: Justin Boyd, OF, 21, A
The Guardians acquired Justin Boyd from the Reds in the Will Benson trade just before spring training began. Boyd is exciting because, like Steven Kwan, he is a speedy outfielder with a great hit tool from Oregon State.
If the Guardians can help Boyd get the most from his hit tool and develop a little additional power, he seems like the perfect complement to many of the similar left-handed-hitting options the Guardians have in their system with similar skill sets.
I’m excited to see what the organization liked about Boyd as he spends time in Lynchburg and Lake County this season while hoping he might be able to make it to Akron by the end of the season.
Other names to know
Johnathan Rodriguez, OF, 24, AA
Petey Halpin, OF, 20, A+
Jaison Chourio, OF, 18, R
Wuilfredo Antunez, OF, 20, A
Yerlin Luis, OF, 17, R
Joe Lampe, OF, 22, A
Isaiah Greene, OF, 21, A
The “Don’t you forget about me” group
Overview: Below is a short list of players who may be easy to forget about as the season starts. Unfortunately, Chase DeLauter had foot surgery and won’t be back until August at the earliest, but hopefully, we’ll see some good signs from the Guardians 2022 first-round pick.
Joe Naranjo is an excellent first-baseman with a good hit tool who seems like he may be too short in stature to stick at first, but he’s a fascinating player to follow.
Alexfri Planez is another player in the mold of Oscar Gonzalez. No real defensive fit, strikes out too much, and never walks, but makes tons of contact and has plenty of power. Which brings me to ...
Prospect to watch: David Fry, C/IF, 27, AAA
To be perfectly fair, David Fry is probably too old to be a prospect but I can’t help it. I have loved watching him hit in Columbus and now in spring training. I enjoy seeing him try his hardest to make first base, third base, and catcher work, even though his defensive skills are clearly highly limited. I can’t help imagining him as a third catcher who can hit lefties off the bench and give you a chance to pinch-hit for a (potentially slumping) Mike Zunino, Cam Gallagher, Meibrys Viloria, or Bo Naylor in the right spot.
He’s not the most exciting prospect in this group — that’s clearly DeLauter — but he’s definitely a guy I’m rooting for in 2023.
Other names to know
Chase DeLauter, OF, 21, R
Joe Naranjo, 1B, 21, A+
Alexfri Planez, OF, 21, A+
Re: Minor Matters
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 12:23 pm
by TFIR
MLBPA, MLB agree to tentative deal on first minor league CBA
The first-ever collective bargaining agreement in minor league baseball history is near, a landmark moment in the sport’s history, and for the players in particular.
Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Major League Baseball Players Association leadership notified thousands of minor league players that the union had reached a tentative five-year agreement with MLB. Minor leaguers are now voting whether to formally accept that deal, a process union officials said they expect to be finished by midnight entering Friday.
Both sides technically need to ratify the deal, and it’s possible MLB owners might need beyond Friday to do so. But with both sides’ leadership in agreement, ratification is ultimately expected, and the parties were able to reach a deal in time for minor league Opening Day, which is Friday.
The deal — which would have sounded outlandish just a year ago, when minor leaguers didn’t have a union — provides raises to players and a slew of other improvements, including the creation of a formal grievance procedure with access to neutral arbitrators in most instances, union officials said.
Under the CBA, minimum annual salaries would be as follows:
At the complex league and rookie ball, $19,800, up from $4,800; Single A: $26,200, up from $11,000; High A: $27,300, up from $11,000; Double A: $30,250, up from $13,800; Triple A: $35,800, up from $17,500.
The salary increases take effect as soon as the deal is ratified, and players are to receive retroactive pay for four weeks of this year’s spring training. Per one estimate, the CBA will cost MLB around $90 million the first year.
Per union officials, here are more elements of the deal:
• Players who sign at age 19 or older are going to be under club reserve for six years, rather than seven, which is the blanket number that previously applied to all players. This policy is not retroactive to players who previously signed at age 19 or older.
• Some improvements to MLB’s housing policy. Players will have their own bedrooms at home at Double A and Triple A. Players are going to either receive a bedroom or be allowed to opt out and instead receive a stipend at Low A and High A. Spouses and children are going to be accommodated in club-provided housing. Housing is free for players except those who make a higher amount.
• One of the elements MLB pushed hard for in the deal, and an issue the MLBPA gave some ground on, was the right to reduce the size of the maximum amount of players that can be carried on the domestic reserve lists. The union agreed to allow MLB to trim the maximum to 165 during the season, down from 180; and to 175 in the offseason, down from 190. Those cuts, however, cannot take place until 2024 at the earliest. MLB looks at this as right-sizing rosters, believing that if it were starting the minor leagues over today, there wouldn’t be as many spots as there are now. MLB initially wanted a blanket right to downsize rosters as the owners saw fit, which the MLBPA did not allow.
• Transportation: For rookie ball, Low A and High A transportation to and from the field is guaranteed to players. At Double A and Triple A, issues are to be addressed as they come up.
• The creation of a joint clubhouse nutrition committee to oversee meal quality, and increase in per diem.
• A committee for feedback on rule changes that MLB implements in the minors.
• A joint drug agreement and domestic violence policy.
• Players receive their NIL rights, and the MLBPA plans to do group licensing.
• With medical issues, players in certain circumstances will have rights to second opinions.
• Different training periods: The fall training period lasts from the end of the season until the Friday before Thanksgiving. A dead period follows from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through Jan. 1. Then there will be a winter training period from Jan. 2 until spring training. During the training periods, players are to be paid at one rate if they’re home, and if they’re called into the complex for instructional leagues or other work, they’ll be paid at a higher rate. The minimum salaries listed above assume players are at home during those training periods, so players can make more money than those minimum salaries listed.
• MLB formally agreed that there would not be contraction of minor league teams during the life of the CBA. Contraction would be highly unlikely anyway because MLB signed 10-year contracts with each minor league club, and those deals are not set to expire before this CBA ends. But the MLBPA wanted to have the language in place for future deals, and for peace of mind.
The tentative CBA comes 213 days after the MLBPA moved publicly to unionize the minor leaguers. Creating a CBA from scratch in a matter of four-plus months, dating to the start of formal negotiations in November, was no easy task, and meetings between MLB and the MLBPA were held more or less daily in the last three weeks.
All along, both sides said they were targeting Opening Day to complete a deal. Had Friday passed without an agreement, talks would have continued, as opposed to giving way to a work stoppage that would halt minor league baseball. The players were not imminently about to go on strike, nor were the owners about to lock out the players.
For as much as players wanted change as soon as possible, the commissioner’s office and the owners also had a few incentives to get a deal done prior to the season.
Without a deal, MLB could have been in an arduous position administratively: teams might have to pay players in different states different amounts to avoid violating local minimum wage laws. Minor league players in 2014 sued MLB for violating wage laws in a case referred to as “Senne” that was settled last year for $185 million.
That case showed MLB that it was not, in fact, adequately following some laws in the eyes of a federal judge. But with salaries now about to be a collectively bargained affair — and said to be set above applicable state minimum-wage laws — MLB would appear less vulnerable to wage-related lawsuits going forward. (Nonetheless, during bargaining, MLB has been lobbying different state legislatures, including Florida’s, to ensure that minor leaguers are exempt from minimum wage laws.)
MLB also had a public-relations incentive to get a deal done quickly. As minor leaguers began speaking out about their pay and overall treatment in the last couple years, the pressure mounted for the league to do better. Before the players unionized, MLB voluntarily decided to provide housing for minor leaguers, starting last season. Many players previously struggled to find adequate housing on their meager salaries.
Last summer, members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee started to ask questions of MLB, and the threat of a hearing on Capitol Hill over the league’s famous antitrust exemption loomed. Then, late on Aug. 28, the MLBPA sent out authorization cards to minor league players, revealing to the public for the first time that the MLBPA had interest in bringing minor leaguers under its umbrella.
That decision was radical, given the union’s history. For more than half a century previously, the MLBPA had chosen not to organize minor leaguers. Successfully reaching the 5,000 or so players was an effort led by multiple people, including MLBPA head Tony Clark and a lawyer who worked outside the union before joining the MLBPA himself, Harry Marino.
Marino was the leader of the non-profit Advocate for Minor Leaguers, and migrated to the MLBPA once the union decided to take in the minor leaguers. Advocates for Minor Leaguers was co-founded by Garrett Broshuis, one of the attorneys representing players in the Senne case. Both Broshuis and Marino are ex-minor league pitchers.
The lead negotiators in the minor league deal were the same as they were in last year’s major league deal: Bruce Meyer of the MLBPA and Dan Halem of MLB. A top labor lawyer at the MLBPA, Ian Penny, was instrumental in the organizing process as well.
Minor league lawsuit settlement closer to finalized
Coincidentally on Wednesday, a federal judge in California pushed the $185 million settlement in the Senne case closer to finalization. On average, after attorney’s fees, the settlement would provide about $5,000 to $5,500 per player. More than 20,000 players are involved in the settlement.
A small group of players represented by two attorneys had raised objections to the settlement, but the court on Wednesday ruled those objections lacked merit. Any appeals to the 9th Circuit would have to be filed within 30 days. If no further appeals are filed, players can begin to receive their money shortly afterward. Any appeal would likely, at the least, slow down the process.
“We don’t think the objections that were lodged had any merit and the district court agreed with us,” said Broshuis. “We hope that no appeals take place so players can finally have access to this back pay that they deserve.”
Samuel Kornhauser, a lawyer representing players who brought objections, could not be immediately reached for comment.
That judge Joseph Spero of the Northern District of California would issue his ruling on the objections on Wednesday, the same day minor leaguers reached a tentative agreement on their CBA, was not lost on Broshuis.
“It’s crazy that these two things happened at the same time,” Broshuis said. “When I was playing, over a decade ago at this point, it was pretty common for six, seven guys to cram into a two-bedroom apartment, sleeping on air mattresses, some guys skipping breakfast, even lunch, because they had racked up credit card debt.
“Guys would go months without receiving a paycheck, even though they were required to work during periods like spring training and instructional league. This case finally provides some back pay to those thousands of players who had to go through with that … and has really laid the groundwork for greater changes that are now taking place in collective bargaining. It’s tremendous to see that these steps have been taken, and finally, we’re seeing better days for minor league baseball players.”
