(WFRV) – How Minor League Baseball Players have been treated has been a topic of discussion for quite some time, but MLB made a huge statement this past fall when they required teams to provide housing for their young players.

Whether it’s the low pay grades, service time, or housing, Major League Baseball has been criticized for their lack of compassion for players in the team’s farm systems. Finally, after some long discussion, MLB required teams to provide housing for Minor League Players — making a major change.

The High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, talked to Local 5 about their plan moving forward with this new rule.

Aaron Hahn, the Timber Rattlers Vice President of Baseball & Stadium Operations, spoke at length about the conversations between the Brewers and Timber Rattlers and how they are going to tackle on the housing.

Host families have been a huge part of what the T-Rats do for a long time. It’s families that open up their homes to players for the extended summer while they are playing professional baseball, trying to move up the ranks. After many successful years of doing the host family program, it looks like the organization is going to stick with this plan heading into the 2022 season to accommodate the players.

Hahn said that it’s been a huge hit throughout the years in Northeast Wisconsin and it gives families and the players memories that last a life time.

Nothing is currently set in stone between the Brewers and Timber Rattlers, as far as a final plan, but as the talks move on – it sure seems like they will carry the host family plan into this upcoming season.

If the Timber Rattlers were to go with the host family option and players opted out of it to get an apartment, etc., the players would then be responsible for paying for their own housing – given the Timber Rattlers gave them a free option for lodging.

MLB is currently still in their lockout. Until a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is settled, players on the 40-man roster are held out of any team activities. Minor League players are exempt from that and can still operate like normal. With Spring Training nearing and an official start date for the MLB season still up in the air, Minor League Players can and, most, will report to their Spring Training sites this month.