Rob Manfred still tone-deaf as he tries to defend minor leaguers' low pay

Written By Jesse Spector
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NEW YORK — Rob Manfred needs to change his tack when it comes to talking about what minor league players are paid, because the optics of Major League Baseball’s current line of argument are atrocious.

It’s a tricky spot for the baseball commissioner, because it is plain to see that minor leaguers, who earn what amounts to less than minimum wage and are only paid during the season, are getting short shrift.

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This, however, is not the way to sell it.

“Look, I think that it’s important to realize that a lot of the information out there about what minor league players are paid and make ignores things like signing bonuses that are paid in advance, that often are large sums of money,” Manfred said Wednesday before the National League wild-card game.

To a few players who get big signing bonuses, mostly first-round picks and the very top international prospects, yes. To the vast majority, this is laughably untrue.

“In an effort to — I don’t want to get into a conversation about the actual wage levels, because we have ongoing litigation,” Manfred said. “It’s just an uncomfortable spot for us to be.”

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It sure is uncomfortable, because even if baseball is a legal winner, it’s a PR loser in this situation.

“But I will reiterate what I said [Tuesday] night (before the AL wild-card game),” Manfred said. “This is not about the economics so much as it is about the feasibility of applying rules that were meant for hourly workers in traditional work settings to minor league baseball players.”

Sure, it’s not about the money. It’s the principle of the thing! (It is always about the money.)

“These are more like apprenticeship programs or artistic pursuits where there are explicit exceptions to the wage and hour requirements.”

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The “seasonal apprentice” argument was used by Major League Baseball in a roundly scorned press release on the subject this summer. The fact Manfred has not realized the ridiculous appearance the line provides is baffling.

Nobody expects baseball to pay minor leaguers exorbitant sums, but not giving a living wage to the people who are the future of your business is silly. Men training to be elite professional athletes are living on meals of fast food because it’s what they can afford. So as much as it’s a bad look, it’s not good for business, either.

Oh, and pay apprentices and artists a living wage, too.