During the offseason, experienced players who have played in both the minor and major leagues often become eligible for minor league free agency. They then explore the open market in search of new minor league agreements with teams that are willing to invite them to minor league Spring Training. However, this winter, it has become increasingly difficult for these players to find such opportunities. According to J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, one major reason for this is the new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and minor league players.
Under the new agreement, MLB has the right to limit the number of domestic minor league players to just 165 by the 2024 season, with a limit of 175 players during the offseason. Cooper explains that this reduced figure eliminates a total of 450 roster spots across the league, or 15 per club. This limited roster flexibility makes it much harder for clubs to offer minor league free agents the “no-risk fliers” deals that have been common in the past. Now, clubs may be forced to release a younger minor league player early in their career in order to make room for a veteran player with more experience.
While minor league deals are typically seen as low-risk signings that are unlikely to result in a player making a significant impact at the major league level, there are numerous examples of players who have joined teams on minor league deals and ended up providing considerable value throughout the year. For instance, Jason Heyward of the Dodgers and Travis Jankowski of the Rangers both signed minor league deals last year and went on to earn a spot on their respective teams’ Opening Day rosters. They performed well enough to earn big-league contracts after becoming free agents again this winter.
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According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com