Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball are separate organizations that have been working together for more than a century in a mutually beneficial relationship that has, for the most part, been an amicable and successful alliance. The working relationship between the two organizations has been negotiated, and memorialized in the Professional Baseball Agreement (PBA); the current agreement is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Negotiations for a successor PBA have been ongoing for over one year, apparently with no substantive progress toward an agreement. This isn’t unusual, as most contractual negotiations do not come together until much closer to the expiration date of the current agreement; the eleventh hour, so to speak. Unfortunately, the negotiations for a renewal PBA have deteriorated from contentious to outright ugly.

MiLB decided in October 2019 to make public MLB’s proposal to eliminate up to 42-minor league teams. Usually, both parties in contract negotiations agree to maintain the confidentiality of their respective proposals, recognizing that the give-and-take of bargaining results in modified positions, or even withdrawal of proposals, and leaking information would likely be counterproductive to a successful resolution. Only the MiLB knows the reason for going public with MLB’s proposal, but it created a firestorm of protests from city governments, journalists, angry fans, and politicians, much to the exasperation of MLB.

On January 29, 2020, a bipartisan congressional group (the “Save Minor League Baseball Task Force”) chose to insert themselves into the negotiating process, with the stated purpose of ensuring “a level playing field in the negotiations between MLB and MiLB so that they yield a fair resolution and protect MiLB in communities across the country.” The task force then introduced a non-binding resolution in the House of Representatives that MLB should drop its plan to eliminate the minor league clubs and maintaining the current structure:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved,

That the House of Representatives—

(1) supports the preservation of Minor League Baseball in 160 American communities;

(2) recognizes the unique social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture; and

(3) encourages continuation of the 117-year foundation of the Minor Leagues in 160 communities through continued affiliations with Major League Baseball.

It did not take MLB long to issue a response:

MLB is confident we can modernize the minor league system, improve playing conditions for our players, and protect baseball in communities across America. However, doing so is best achieved with Minor League Baseball’s constructive participation, and a recognition that they need to be a part of the solution. So far their approach has neither been constructive nor solutions-oriented. The most constructive role Congress can play to achieve these goals is to encourage Minor League Baseball to return to the bargaining table so we can work together to address the real issues impacting minor league players and communities all across the country.

Bottom-line message to Congress: Your interference in these negotiations is not constructive; butt-out!

Of course, MiLB had to respond with a rebuttal statement:

“Minor League Baseball was encouraged by the dialogue in a recent meeting between representatives of Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball and a commitment by both sides to engage further on February 20. However, Major League Baseball’s claims that Minor League Baseball is not participating in these negotiations in a constructive and productive manner is false. Minor League Baseball has provided Major League Baseball with numerous substantive proposals that would improve the working conditions for Minor League Baseball players by working with MLB to ensure adequate facilities and reasonable travel. Unfortunately, Major League Baseball continues to misrepresent our positions with misleading information in public statements that are not conducive to good faith negotiations.”

Who is to blame for this mess? A fair guess is that MLB, MiLB, and the “Save Minor League Baseball Task Force” share in the responsibility. It appears that MLB has taken a heavy-handed negotiating approach, exerting its force as the 800-pound gorilla in the room; MiLB has not been proactive in assuring quality minor league ballpark facilities for all teams as it promised in 2003, and going public with the MLB proposal could be characterized as bad-faith bargaining; and, a Congressional resolution was nothing more than politicians posturing for votes amongst their respective constituents.

MLB and MiLB must return to the bargaining table and reach a mutually beneficial PBA to continue their symbiotic business relationship. There is no other viable option. MiLB cannot exist without MLB, and MLB could risk the loss of its antitrust exemption if it takes a heavy-handed approach that results in a significant loss of minor league teams.

Baseball is such a wonderful game, but the business of professional baseball seems to get uglier by the year.

What a shame.

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