Minor league baseball will be out of season for the first time since 1901 due to the coronavirus pandemic and some teams may not be able to make it through 2021.
MiLB President Pat O’Conner told reporters in a conference call on Tuesday that it would be difficult for the organization to predict what will happen next, according to the Des Moines Register, because the future is so bleak.
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According to Baseball America, O’Conner warned that about half, or possibly more than half, of the minor league baseball teams could sell or fold entirely.
“It is north of half (the MiLB teams) that either have to sell (or go bankrupt without government or other help). This is the perfect storm. There are many teams that are not fluid and not soluble, ”said Conner. “I could easily see that these (economic effects) lasted until 2022, 2023. In some cases, it may take a little longer. “
Minor League Baseball has been reported to sign 42 teams in winter before the pandemic swept the globe. Adding the corona virus to an already uncertain future, minor league baseball is at risk.
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O’Conner added that talks between Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball about the expiring Professional Baseball Agreement, according to Baseball America, have “stalled”.
Chris Phillips, president of the Rocky Mountain Vibes subsidiary of the Colorado Rockies, told the Denver Post that things don’t look good for most minor league teams.
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“Teams across the country work 18 months with no steady source of income,” said Phillips. “This is brutal, and in addition to a possible contraction, you’ll see a number of teams collapse because they didn’t make it financially.”
