ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Baseball’s minor leagues canceled their seasons Tuesday after Major League Baseball decided not to provide any players to its affiliated teams amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the minor league governing body, made the long-expected announcement. The Professional Baseball Agreement between the majors and the minors expires after this season, and MLB has proposed reducing the minimum affiliates from 160 to 120.
MLB already had told clubs to retain expanded 60-player pools, of which 30 players can be active during the first two weeks of the season starting in late July.