Minor league players in the Major League Baseball Players’ Association have reached a tentative agreement with the league on its first collective bargaining agreement, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is for five years and includes at least two times the pay at all minor league levels, according to Passan.
While the deal is tentatively agreed to, it still needs to be fully approved by both the union and MLB owners. Passan reports that the deal includes minimum annual pay increases of over $15,000 in Low-A, over $16,000 in High-A and Double-A, and over $18,000 in Triple-A.
Because this is the first CBA for minor leaguers, there are tons of details to sift through. Player leaders have ratified the deal, and it is tentative until the rank-and-file agree, which the union expects. Similarly, MLB owners need to agree after the league office negotiated.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 30, 2023
As part of the agreement, the Domestic Reserve List, which governs the maximum number of players in an organization outside of Latin America, will be reduced from 180 to 165 starting next season, Passan reports. The league had been seeking a reduction of the Domestic Reserve List dating back to last year’s negotiations during the 2022 lockout.
As another wrinkle of the new CBA, players who sign at age 19 or older are now under club reserve for six years, rather than the current seven, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. However, the rule will not be retroactively applied.
Drellich reports that the MLBPA vote is currently underway, and is expected to be concluded by midnight Wednesday.
