Photo by Ed Delany, MMN
Huge news coming out of Major League Baseball this week. Baseball America reported on Tuesday that MLB officially announced that they are allowing minor league instructional leagues to return effective September 18, 2020, including access for pro scouts to come scout live opposed to scouting remotely. Major League clubs were informed of this information on Tuesday.
In March when Major League baseball activities were suspended and then it was later announced that the Minor League Baseball season was being cancelled for 2020, many minor leaguers, including players in the New York Mets organization, thought that they would not see playing time until 2021 and would have to find a way to stay conditioned in shape through a very extended off-season.
For those who were with the St. Lucie Mets and clubs in the state of Florida last season, they have not seen playing time since last August when the Florida State League and other leagues cancelled the end of the season and shut down early due to Hurricane Dorian and the imminent impacts that were expected to impact the state of Florida. The announcement of the restart of instructional leagues has to come as a pleasant and exciting surprise for these players.
However, as MLB announced this week, players will now be able to head to camp later this month and get some training in with their coaches and teammates. One stipulation, however, is that in order to be eligible to participate in the instructional camp, a player must not be on the club’s 40-man roster.
MLB stated that clubs may hold instructional camps at teams’ alternate sites, their Spring Training site, or both. However, alternate sites may not house the ‘taxi squad’ and instructional camp at the same time, meaning in order for instructional camp to be held, the facility must no longer be in use as the club’s alternate site for their ‘taxi squad.’ Clubs must also submit health and safety protocols to the league for approval prior to the start of camp. Much like major league baseball, this submission must include the number of players attending camp, testing protocols, protocols and plans for any positive COVID-19 tests that come out of camp, as well as dates of camp.
Another aspect of this announcement by MLB, as reported by Baseball America is that players who participate in camp are to be paid by the clubs at “a rate stipulated by their uniform player contract” that will be based off which level (Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, etc.) they would have been playing at in 2020, which would be decided by the club
In order for teams to host instructional camps, they must also provide housing for the players and allot them a stipend for meals. They must submit their plan to do so with their health & safety protocols.
For the New York Mets, this could mean baseball back at Clover Park in Port Saint Lucie as early as September 18, 2020. Clover Park is home to the St. Lucie Mets and Gulf Coast League Mets, and typically houses the club’s instructional leagues as well.
The Mets are currently using MCU park in Brooklyn (Home of the Brooklyn Cyclones) as their alternate site. Per Major League Baseball’s memo, they may also use this site for an instructional league, however they may no longer be using it for their taxi squad. Should the Mets make playoffs, it is likely we would see instructional leagues take place at the newly renovated Clover Park in Port Saint Lucie.
