On the same day that a federal judge ruled that minor-league players should be considered year-round employees, a decision that could cost Major League Baseball and its teams millions in penalties and back pay, a California state senator announced plans to introduce legislation that would entirely upend the minor-league system.
Senate Bill 1248 would create the Minor League Baseball Players’ Bill of Rights, which seeks to guarantee better wages and fairer labor practices for California minor leaguers. The most striking element of the bill: It would seek to limit the length of an initial player contract to four years. Under the current system, an organization retains a minor leaguer’s rights until he is eligible to negotiate a contract as a six-year minor-league free agent, which is typically achieved after the seventh year.
Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) also seeks to define a minor-league player as anyone employed to play baseball for “a minor-league team that is affiliated with a major-league baseball team and who plays, resides or is employed in the state” — a provision that would challenge the federal “Save America’s Pastime Act” that allowed MLB and its teams an exemption from observing federal wage protections for minor leaguers, who are not compensated for spring training or overtime (including travel time) during the season.
Read More: California senator introduces bill that would limit minor-league contracts to 4