In Glenn Carberry’s recent op-ed about negotiations between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, he inaccurately portrays MLB’s position. 

MLB is committed to protecting baseball in Connecticut, which is why we have subsidized Minor League operations at a rate of hundreds of millions of dollars per year over the past decade. We are not proposing to eliminate any clubs in these negotiations, and we have made clear to Minor League Baseball that there is a plan for every Minor League club to continue operations with support from MLB. 

In addition to protecting baseball in Connecticut, MLB is seeking to improve pay and working conditions for Minor League players. However, Minor League Baseball owners have refused to bear any portion of the contemplated cost increases for modernizing facilities and other steps required to properly develop the next Big League stars. Instead, they have indicated that they would prefer to simply eliminate franchises. 

Minor League owners have moved their teams 77 times since 1990, with six more actively considering relocation today. MLB is committed to protecting baseball in Connecticut – Minor League owners need to make that same commitment. 

Dan Halem

Deputy Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB)