LOS ANGELES — On Monday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, requesting information about the league’s antitrust exemption with a particular focus on how it affects minor-league pay. On Tuesday, Manfred shared a few of his thoughts with the media: What could be the problem with minor-league pay? The commissioner apparently does not see one.
Asked if minor-league pay remains low because owners cannot afford to pay the players more or because they simply do not want to, Manfred responded thusly:
“Look, I kind of reject the premise of the question that minor league players are not paid a living wage,” he said. “I think that we've made real strides in the last three years in terms of what minor league players are paid—even putting to one side the signing bonuses that many of them have already received. They received housing, which obviously is another form of compensation. So, you know, I just reject the question. I don't know what else to say.”
