MLB meal money cut, but teams assume cost of clubhouse food

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) Daily meal money for major league baseball players is being cut from $100.50 to $30 under the sport's new collective bargaining agreement, but teams are assuming the cost of providing clubhouse food spreads for home games and road trips.

The change is estimated to save players about $6,000 annually, since the cost of food at home games will be not coming from their own money.

Players have long paid ''clubhouse dues'' on to cover the cost of spreads, which averaged $70 per day per player this year. Many pay additional tips to clubhouse managers, money redistributed to all the clubhouse attendants.

The change eliminates a problem that occurred last season in Seattle. Fox reported Chicago White Sox players refused to pay last July 20 to protest a Mariners' policy that directed 60 percent of clubhouse dues go to a team-managed account to pay for food and the salaries of clubhouse assistants.