As the first Minor League Baseball season enters the conclusion of the first year of 10 under the grand realignment, Baseball America reflected on one big failure from a lot of MLB teams: securing housing for its players.
BA's J.J. Cooper says that with fewer teams, fixed roster sizes and Player Development Licenses that are up to five times longer than the previous two-year commitments, MLB teams have fewer excuses to not have reliable housing arranged for its prospects, especially when viewed through the lens of a prospect who has been relocated multiple times in a year:
Did I mention that the pay for this job begins at $500 a week? You can think of it as $12.50 an hour, if scaled to 40 hours per week, but in reality it will be more like 60 hours a week, and there is no overtime pay.
One thing I forgot to mention is that when the company sends you to Bowling Green, you’re responsible for finding your own housing. And even though it was the company that told you to pick up and move to Midland, you’re responsible for the remainder of your six-month lease in Bowling Green. The same is true about your apartment in Midland, the one they told you to leave just a month later. In that case, you got lucky and the person replacing you took your spot, even though if he fails to pay the rent, it’s your credit score that will be damaged.
You never found an apartment in Lakeland. With such a small income, and a lease for Bowling Green already hanging over your head, you just crashed on colleagues’ couches or in the office to avoid adding another expense.
Cooper's column is effectively a follow-up of Britt Ghiroli's feature in The Athletic on minor leaguers living in squalor in early August. She mentions that five Nashville Sounds lived in a one-bedroom apartment they thought was a winner until they discovered a roach infestation, and having seen the skyrocketing real estate values around the city, that sounds about right.
Charlotte 1, Norfolk 0
- Blake Rutherford went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
- Romy Gonzalez, 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Jake Burger was 0-for-4 with a K.
- Gavin Sheets, 1-for-4 with a K.
- YermÍn Mercedes went 1-for-4.
- So did Micker Adolfo, who also stole a base.
- Evan Marshall: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Kannapolis 5, Down East 1
- James Beard doubled, singled, walked and struck out twice.
- Bryan Ramos went 1-for-5.
- Chase Krogman was 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Misael Gonzalez went 1-for-4.
- So did Wilber Sanchez, who struck out.
- Matthew Thompson: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 WP
ACL Brewers 5, ACL White Sox 1 (7 innings)
- Colson Montgomery went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras was 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Wes Kath went 0-for-3.
- Benyamin Bailey was 0-for-3 with a stolen base.
- Logan Glass went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Cam Butler went 0-for-2 with a K.
- Erick Bello: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
DSL Blue Jays 6, DSL White Sox 1
- Manuel Guariman went 0-for-1.
- Carlos Jimenez was 0-for-4.
- Victor Quezada, 1-for-3 with a double, walk and strikeout.
