The Miami Marlins have pulled a recent advertisement calling for former collegiate and professional players to join the organization’s “practice squad” after Major League Baseball voiced concerns.
MLB officials contacted the Marlins about the practice squad, which could have run afoul of baseball’s roster rules and labor practices, according to people briefed on the situation. The Marlins agreed to scuttle the proposed initiative.
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The ad, which was posted on a Marlins’ minor-league operation staffer’s LinkedIn page, received attention on social media over the weekend. The listing offered non-professional players a chance to play against the club’s Low-A affiliate in Jupiter, Fla., for a daily wage of $150.
The most recent collective bargaining agreement covering the minor leagues called for players during the 2024 season to make a $26,200 minimum annual salary in Low-A and a $19,800 minimum annual salary in rookie-ball complex leagues.
The post, which has since been deleted, proposed the practice squad could act as a pipeline to the professional ranks. A Marlins official indicated the organization had not fully vetted the ad before publication.
“I just think someone ran too quickly with it before getting it finalized,” the official said, adding, “We’re getting to the end of spring training here, and deadlines push action.”
The concept had been discussed internally as a means to increase competition within the Marlins’ minor-league ranks. The team official said the post immediately garnered interest from players.
When the Major League Baseball Players Association, which now includes minor leaguers, asked MLB about the ad, MLB officials informed the union that the Marlins had already done away with the plan.
The Marlins’ announcement came at a time when many teams are pondering how to deal with the reduction in minor league affiliates, which were cut to four per team after MLB restructured the minors ahead of the 2021 season. The organization thought it was uniquely positioned to experiment with a practice squad, given Jupiter’s proximity to Miami, and the plethora of talent that resides in South Florida.
The concept of the practice squad raised eyebrows among rival executives who have seen their player development pipelines tightened by the reductions. One former player, Robert Stock, wondered in a post on X “if these won’t turn into a workaround to sidestep minor-league roster restrictions. Especially if they sign a player or two from the ‘practice squad’ eventually.”
As of now, the Marlins have no plans to launch the initiative, and any future plans would require modification of the initial posting, the team official said.
(Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
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