With changes to the working partnership between the MLB and the Minor League having been long anticipated, the MLB has now taken a large step towards its goal of taking over the governance of the minor league.
On Wednesday, the MLB announced its plans to relocate the minor league’s offices to the MLB Headquarters situated in Los Angeles. This news was released via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
As a result of this major decision, the minor league will now form part of the MLB organization, with each minor league club becoming a “licensed affiliate” of the MLB.
To assist in this transition, the MLB has hired the assistance of Peter Freund and Trinity Sports Consultants. Freund is himself an owner of several minor league clubs at three levels, in addition to being a partner with the Yankees.
He is expected to lead the charge in achieving the MLB’s goal of restructuring the minor league system as well as “implementing a modern approach to player development”, as the MLB explained.
Prior to this monumental decision, the MLB came under fire because of cutting 40 teams from the minor league system, along with the insufficient salaries that minor league players were earning.
Recently, the Supreme Court granted minor league players class-action status in their lawsuit against the MLB, thereby allowing players since 2009 to join the lawsuit suing the MLB for the violation of minimum wage laws.
