MLB to pay $185 million to minor leaguers in federal lawsuit settlement
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, MLB has agreed to pay $185 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit with minor league players.
The settlement, pending approval from a judge, stems from a lawsuit filed by minor leaguers seeking payment for minimum-wage and overtime violations by MLB teams.
Passan adds that MLB teams will now be allowed to pay minor leaguers during spring training, extended spring training and instructional leagues as part of the settlement.
If the settlement is approved, the players will reportedly receive a split of $120,197,300.
The suit was filed in 2014 by retired players Aaron Senne, Michael Liberto and Oliver Odle. A settlement was finally reached on May 10, just days before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Through an eight-year battle, there finally seems to be a resolution for minor leaguers seeking fair pay.
"This settlement is a monumental step for minor league players toward a fair and just compensation system," said attorney Garrett Broshuis in a statement Friday. "As a former minor league baseball player, I've seen first-hand the financial struggle players face while earning poverty-level wages — or no wages at all — in pursuit of their major league dream. For the better part of a decade, it has been my honor to help lead this fight and to shine a light on the unfair labor practices that have long plagued America's pastime."
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