MLBPA and MLB sign key agreement for the Caribbean Winter Leagues

Agreement Renews MLB Players’ Participation in Caribbean Winter Leagues

Santo Domingo. The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has reached a new agreement with the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) regarding the participation of players in the Caribbean winter leagues. This agreement, officially called the Winter League Agreement (WLA), is finalized just before the start of the winter seasons in countries like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and other nations of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC). The agreement renews and expands opportunities for players, both from Major Leagues and Minor Leagues, to participate in winter championships and continue their competitive development.

“Winter Leagues have played a fundamental role for decades in the growth of our players. We negotiated this agreement with the purpose of continuing to expand those opportunities”, expressed the MLBPA in a statement headed by its executive director, Tony Clark.

Tony Clark, Executive Director of the MLBPA

The Winter League Agreement, originally established in 1999, regulates the formal relationship between MLB and the Caribbean leagues. The previous agreement had expired last month without renewal, which generated concern among teams and players who were awaiting definitions before the start of the 2025-2026 season. The WLA grants MLB the authority to establish standards on umpires, league administration, stadiums, medical services, and player compensation. The lack of a new agreement even led to the cancellation of an exhibition series between the Charros de Jalisco (Mexico) and the Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic), scheduled for last weekend. With the renewal of the agreement, the winter leagues will be able to start without setbacks on October 14 and 15, with the participation of MLB system players fully authorized.