Senate Judiciary Committee targets MLB’s antitrust exemption [$]

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The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has set its sights on Major League Baseball’s century-old antitrust exemption.

Bipartisan members of the committee, including chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, have sent a letter to the non-profit Advocates for Minor Leaguers requesting further information on the antitrust exemption and its interplay with three developments in baseball: the pay structure for minor leaguers, the MLB-orchestrated reduction in the number of minor league affiliates, and the state of MLB’s international amateur system. The two-page letter, dated Tuesday, is signed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, as well.

“We need to examine how Major League Baseball’s 100-year-old antitrust exemption is affecting the operation of Minor League baseball teams and the ability of Minor League ballplayers to make a decent living,” said Durbin, the U.S. Senate Majority Whip, in a statement. “This bipartisan request for information will help inform the Committee about the impact of this exemption, especially when it comes to Minor League and international prospects. We need to make sure that all professional ballplayers get to play on a fair and level field.”

News: The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has set its sights on Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption. https://t.co/12Hclz0ySl pic.twitter.com/1TSPAcXTM7

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 28, 2022