ONE For All

Wholesale minor league reorganization is only one part of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s “One Baseball” vision to integrate baseball from the major leagues to the youth level

- J.J. COOPER

In its dealings with Minor League Baseball’s negotiating committee, Major League Baseball has made clear its desire to take control of the minor leagues. As MLB has explained to MiLB, it believes that it can run the minors with more cost-efficiency while producing more revenue for minor league teams. Such a move would also allow MLB to exert more direct control over some of the aspects of Minor League Baseball that currently create hurdles for MLB’s goals.

That MLB takeover is expected to happen later this year, either through an agreement with minor league team owners to adopt a new system or through a decision to set up MLB’s own development system after the current Professional Baseball Agreement expires on Sept. 30.

Understandably, a wholesale realignment of the minor leagues has been the focus of much attention. In reality, it is only the first part of Major League Baseball’s plans for the game.

Through its marketing muscle and new agreements, MLB is looking to take on a much larger role in guiding the sport at all levels in the United States and around the world.

Five years after he took over as Major League Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred appears much closer to his goal of establishing “One Baseball,” a term he began using regularly as soon as he succeeded Bud Selig.