To say that the Oakland A’s rely upon their minor leagues would be an understatement. They have a cycle of trading off their most expensive players for prospects, hoping that between those deals and their draft picks, they will be able to build a contender. It may take a couple of years each time, but the A’s eventually find their way to the postseason, only to begin the cycle once again.
As such, the A’s need every minor league spot they can get. It takes time to develop those players, especially when a team is as active in the international free agent market as the A’s are. Major League Baseball’s latest proposal to the Player’s Union, which would allow them to cut minor league rosters by 30 players, would be a hindrance to those plans.
Major League Baseball asked for the ability to eliminate hundreds of minor league playing jobs in its latest labor proposal, sources told ESPN. The league would not be allowed to implement the plan until after 2022.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 15, 2022
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MLB plan to cut minor league spots hurts Oakland A’s
For the league, this is about money. It is a matter of finding a way to reduce costs so that the owners can put more money into their pockets. After all, developing these players and having all of those minor league teams just is not profitable to the league, so why does it matter?
It matters for the A’s. In order to keep that process going, they need those minor league spots. They need to have those teams to be able to develop players and get them ready for the next step in their journey, which will hopefully end up in Oakland.
This does not just hurt the A’s. Other smaller market teams that rely upon their ability to develop players, such as the Rays, need to have those minor league spots. Likewise, having those minor league teams, and players in areas where the nearest major league team is far away, will help grow the game. But the league is too shortsighted to understand those dynamics.
The Oakland A’s need all the minor league spots they can get. Major League Baseball’s latest proposal would hurt their ability to contend in the future.