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Pirates infielder Mason Martin works through drills during summer camp at PNC Park Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Pittsburgh.
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‘Huge news’: Changes for minor league players warmly welcomed

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

‘Huge news’: Changes for minor league players warmly welcomed

The magnitude of what Major League Baseball reportedly plans to do isn’t lost on Bligh Madris.

Playing much of this season for Class AAA Indianapolis, the 25-year-old outfielder would cringe at least once a month when more than 60% of his paycheck went to the most basic necessity: rent.

Now, after some system-shaking news Sunday, Madris and thousands of others across the sport may get a sizable raise. According to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, MLB owners will foot housing costs incurred by players on affiliated clubs — a victory for the improved treatment of minor league players.

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“It’s a big turn of events,” Madris told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by phone Sunday night. “And the right direction for all of baseball.”

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The math Madris confronted was not terribly dissimilar to what many minor leaguers experience. Although MLB increased pay for minor leaguers this season — taking the minimum Class AAA salary from $502 to $700 per week — Madris and others routinely encountered four-digit rent payments that siphoned their livable income.

There was a hotel available for roughly $100 per night, but if the club was home for two weeks per month, the savings disappeared. It also wouldn’t work if a player had a significant other or family in tow. Ditto if said player had anything more than clothes to store.

By MLB clubs footing this bill — which would likely be under $1 million per team, per Passan’s reporting — a major concern for minor league players has finally been alleviated.

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“It’s huge news,” said Mason Martin, a first baseman who spent much of this season with Class AA Altoona before he was promoted to Indianapolis in September. “It’s exciting for all minor leaguers. I know that we’re all very grateful.”

The details of the plan are not yet final. MLB owners met and approved the plan last month, although it’s unclear whether teams will directly provide housing or offer a stipend so players may procure it on their own.

In addition to feeling valued, Martin said it evens the playing field and will “give everyone a fair shake,” regardless of draft position or the size of their signing bonus.

Jared Oliva, another outfielder with Class AAA Indianapolis this past season, said some players would rent an Airbnb from week-to-week, then move out whenever the club hit the road. The lack of a consistent home base was tiring, but this should put a stop to that.

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“Getting guys comfortable, finding a spot to live and feeling a little more at-ease with everything is going to be huge and help players on the field, too,” Oliva said. “They don’t have to worry about where they’re going to live the next night or home series. It’s a small thing from the outside looking in, but for players, I think it’s going to pay dividends.”

While celebrating what this move will mean for minor leaguers writ large, Madris added that the Pirates — especially the new regime — have shown a legitimate interest in making things better for prospects.

At Altoona, players stay at PennView Suites, an off-campus, student-housing complex for students at Penn State University’s Altoona campus.

Living five to a house, the setup allows for plenty of things players value. Easy communication and a college-style atmosphere, for one. But also an easy transition if a promotion arrives, with no worries over vacating a lease. The goal is to allow players to focus solely on their development.

Earlier this season, when Ben Cherington visited Altoona, Madris said the Pirates general manager asked players what the organization could do to make their living situation better, the two at one point discussing upgrades to the beds at PennView.

“Ben looks after us,” Madris said.

Madris and Martin also praised how the Pirates feed players. Nutrition is prioritized. They’ve also never experienced the horror stories that have popped up on social media during the past few seasons, where meager meals or lousy accommodations have been lambasted.

“I’ve heard things from players in other organizations,” Martin said. “I know we get treated well here.

“Good food at home and on the road, healthy snacks in the clubhouse, smoothies and things like that … stuff I know not every other team in the league is getting.”

In the Florida Complex League (formerly the Gulf Coast League) or even with Low-A Bradenton, players can stay at the team’s Florida headquarters in Pirate City. The organization has also made affordable housing available with its High-A affiliate in Greensboro, N.C.

Pittsburgh has been one of 11 clubs that continues to pay players at extended spring training, and Cherington in March 2019 was part of a Toronto regime that increased pay for minor leaguers more than 50% — before MLB took control of the minor leagues.

“I think the Pirates show more concern for their minor leaguers than a lot of other teams,” said Harry Marino, the executive director of Advocates for Minor Leaguers, a group that has helped bring attention to the issue in recent years.

The Houston Astros this season took the unique step of footing the housing bill for all of their minor leaguers, while the Pirates’ situation in Altoona puts them in a separate category of organizations helping players procure housing at discounted rates.

All of this after MLB cut 42 affiliates in the name of making life better for the 120 that survived. This appears to be the biggest step yet for player treatment that has been long overdue.

“This is an historic victory for minor league baseball players," Advocates of Minor Leaguers said in a statement.

Doubtful any of the Pirates guys will disagree.

Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.

First Published: October 18, 2021, 1:54 p.m.
Updated: October 18, 2021, 2:32 p.m.

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