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The proposal is part of negotiations between
MLB and the minor leagues over their contract, called the
Professional Baseball Agreement, which expires after that
season, according to several media outlets. Baseball America was
the first to publish the report and said most people who
provided information requested anonymity.
According to the proposal, Minor League Baseball would shrink
from 160 teams to 120. The Baseball America report calls the
proposal preliminary and subject to alterations, an early idea
at the start of what might be protracted negotiations.
Leagues owned wholly by MLB would also see changes, the report
said, with league sizes and classifications possibly affected.
According to a statement from MLB and reported by the New York
Times, "We are in discussions with the owners of the Minor
League teams to reorganize elements of the system with the goal
of improving the working conditions of minor league players,
including upgrading the facilities to Major League standards,
increasing player compensation, reducing travel time between
affiliates for road games, improving transportation and hotel
accommodations, increasing the number of off days, and providing
better geographical affiliations between the MLB clubs and
affiliates."
The people who did go on the record gave only general statements
acknowledging that negotiations are taking place.
"We are engaged with Major League Baseball on a successor
agreement to the PBA. It's early in the negotiations, and that's
the most I can say," said Pat O'Conner, president of Minor
League Baseball.
MLB's deputy commissioner Dan Halem said, "We're at the very
initial stages of the negotiations where each side is presenting
to others the issues and concerns they have with the existing
PBA."
--Field Level Media
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