As first reported by J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, negotiators from Minor League Baseball are expected to agree to terms of a proposed reduction that would see the minors reduced from 160 affiliated teams to 120 moving forward. Both sides have “already found common ground” on many other issues, so this major concession on MiLB’s part should pave the way to a new Professional Baseball Agreement.
A conference call between negotiators for both parties is scheduled for Wednesday, at which point this news will become official. Though such drastic terms for a deal first seemed absurd when they were first made public in November, the world has undergone some fairly significant changes in the meantime.