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Minor league baseball players and Major League Baseball struck a tentative deal Wednesday on the first collective bargaining agreement between the sides that will more than double player pay and represents the largest-ever gains in the rights of minor leaguers, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.

The deal, which will last for five years, comes after a rapid and successful effort last year by minor leaguers to unionize under the umbrella of the Major League Baseball Players Association and follows previous improvements in housing and pay. MLB formally recognized the union upon its formation, paving the way for a negotiation that finalized the deal on the eve of major league Opening Day.

After years of disillusionment among future major leaguers about paltry salaries forcing them to work offseason jobs — and coincidentally on the day a judge approved a $185 million settlement the league will pay players who accused it of violating minimum-wage laws — the parties agreed on a deal that went out to a vote among the union’s rank and file and that will need to be approved by owners, as well, before it is formalized. The agreement could be announced officially as early as Friday, the first day of games in the minor leagues.

The pay increases at each level are significant, according to sources, and will pay players for most of the offseason as well as spring training, including back pay for this season. At each level, the pay structure will see annual minimum salaries go from:

  • Triple-A: $17,500 to $35,800

  • Double-A: $13,800 to $30,250

  • High-A: $11,000 to $27,300

  • Single-A: $11,000 to $26,200

  • Complex league: $4,800 to $19,800

Among those not included in the deal are players at teams’ complexes in the Dominican Republic. The minor league unit of the MLBPA includes only players on teams’ domestic rosters — and players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and other foreign countries will still reap the benefits when stateside.

The deal includes the reduction of the maximum Domestic Reserve List, which governs the number of players a team can roster outside of its Dominican Republic complexes, from 180 to 165 starting in 2024. The union had previously fought MLB’s efforts during the lockout last year to reduce the reserve list, which teams had identified as a priority.

Players, meanwhile, emphasized better housing and transportation as a matter of import. Starting in 2024, those at Triple-A and Double-A will receive their own bedroom, and players with spouses and children will receive special accommodations. In rookie ball, Single-A and High-A, teams will provide transportation to stadiums, where they’ll eat meals provided under rules negotiated by a joint clubhouse nutrition committee.

The overhaul of the minor leagues started in earnest via social media posts from players, who showed minuscule paychecks and often packed a half-dozen players into a one- or two-bedroom apartment, sleeping on air mattresses. While players started to organize, MLB was completing a takeover of Minor League Baseball. In doing so, it reduced the number of affiliated teams from 162 to 120. Under the terms of the agreement, MLB cannot contract teams over the next five years, though it already was unlikely to do so, with the Professional Development League licenses all minor league franchises signed before the 2021 season lasting 10 years.

Since MLB took over management of the minors, it had slightly increased pay in 2021 and offered housing in 2022. The league’s recognition of its substandard player compensation package forced it in a better direction, but players continued to push for more, and the leaps forward in the agreement between the parties codify a wide array of policies not previously part of minor league life, including:

  • Pay from Jan. 2 until the Friday before Thanksgiving. From the next day through Jan. 1, players will not receive pay. There will also be slight annual pay increases in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

  • A six-year reserve, instead of seven years, for future players who enter affiliated baseball at 19 or older. The shorter reserve period allows players — most of whom will have played in college — to reach minor league free agency earlier.

  • Full name, image and likeness rights, which previously had been controlled by the league. By receiving them, the union can leverage group-licensing deals.

  • Expanded medical rights, including, under some circumstances, the right to a second opinion on an injury as well as an expanded time period for post-injury medical expenses to be covered.

  • Joint drug and domestic violence policies, to be patterned after the agreed-upon policies previously negotiated by the league and union.

  • A no-strike, no-lockout provision under the terms of the deal, which will run until after the 2027 season.

In addition to the class-action case, pressure from Capitol Hill narrowed the focus on MLB and certainly hastened the changes. Advocates for Minor Leaguers, a group started by former minor league pitcher Harry Marino, had pushed Congress to force MLB to offer the same protections for minor league players as major leaguers. The Senate Judiciary Committee pressed MLB in a June 2022 letter about its antitrust exemption, and less than a month later, the league settled the antitrust suit, which also had been litigated by another former minor league pitcher, Garrett Broshuis, who had been at the forefront of early organizing.

By mid-September, minor leaguers voted to form a unit as part of the MLBPA, which Marino joined. He and Bruce Meyer, who was the lead negotiator on the major league CBA that was finalized in March 2022, were joined by union general counsel Ian Penny and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark in negotiations with MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem and Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, among others with the league.

The deal stabilizes baseball’s entire affiliated landscape for at least the next four years as the sport enters a vital period during which it will introduce a suite of new rules, including a pitch clock. Across the sport, minor leaguers who more than doubled their salaries overnight expressed appreciation, and Broshuis celebrated what many saw as a landmark win with a series of tweets that ended:

“For those who passed a hat around for diaper money for newborns.

“For those who grinded away at 2 or even 3 off-season jobs.

“For those who skipped breakfast or even lunch to pinch pennies.

“For those who have [given] up the game not for a lack of talent but for a lack of funds.

“This is for you.”

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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