Major League Baseball insists teams should provide housing for minor league players.
Major League Baseball (MLB) stated on Sunday that it will require teams to provide housing for minor league players starting in 2022.
MLB are yet to outline its plan formally, six team officials told media they are starting to prepare to help house players across each of their four minor league affiliates.
In mid-September, owners from the league’s 30 teams agreed unanimously to a plan that would provide housing for certain minor league players, the league said in a statement.
Whether they will offer stipends that fully cover housing or provide the lodging itself has yet to be decided, sources said.
The emergence of groups Advocates for Minor Leaguers and More Than Baseball, their use of social media to highlight the living conditions of minor league players and the willingness of players to talk on the record about their experiences illuminated issues about which players have spoken privately for years.
Views on the housing for MLB minor leaguers.
“This is a historic victory for minor league baseball players,” Harry Marino, executive director of Advocates of Minor Leaguers and a former minor league player, told ESPN.
“When we started talking to players this season about the difficulties they face, finding and paying for in-season housing was at the top of almost every player’s list. As a result, addressing that issue became our top priority.”
Accordingto a statement released, the league said: “MLB is engaged in a multi-year effort to modernize the minor league system and better assist players as they pursue their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues.
“In 2021, we increased the salaries for minor league players by 38-72%, depending on level, and significantly reduced travel requirements during the season.
“In addition, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of improvements to minor league ballparks around the country are already underway, including substantial renovations to player-facing facilities like locker rooms and training rooms.”
