Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was on hand for Tuesday’s All-Star festivities in Los Angeles, holding a press conference where he discussed everything from the Mariners’ recent surge (“It would be nice if Seattle broke its non-playoff streak”) to the the A’s continued quest for a new stadium (“It is not a major-league quality facility at this point”). Manfred was also asked about conditions in the minor leagues in wake of a class-action lawsuit filed by former players, alleging MLB paid them less than minimum wage and didn’t compensate them at all for spring training. After spending the better part of a decade in legal purgatory, the suit was finally resolved last week with players receiving a combined $185-million settlement.
Manfred’s response was eye-opening, rejecting the “premise” that minor-league players aren’t paid a living wage. While it’s true MLB has made significant strides in this area with teams now providing housing for most players, it’s still not enough, with minor-leaguers frequently subject to poor facilities, malnourishment (this apparently passes for a post-game spread in Oakland) and poverty, often taking second jobs as delivery drivers and construction workers to keep the lights on. Latino players are particularly susceptible to exploitation, hoarding leftovers and living on a shoestring budget, all while learning a second language.
Manfred has long been a scapegoat for everything wrong with major-league baseball, facing an impossible balancing act between satisfying purists who like the game precisely the way it is and attracting a new, younger audience by catering to millennial sensibilities. It’s a thankless job, one that comes with the stark realization that, no matter how hard Manfred tries, he’ll never be able to please everyone. But if Manfred’s ultimate goal is to grow the sport, developing young players that can appeal to fans (Monday night’s Home Run Derby winner Juan Soto, for instance), improving the lives of minor-leaguers shouldn’t be a concession—it should be his top priority.
For years, MLB has gotten away with providing the bare minimum (and, in some cases, less than that) for its minor-league talent. That may have worked in the past, but with watchdog organizations like Advocates for Minor Leaguers holding them accountable, it’s gotten much harder for baseball to sweep this issue under the rug.
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