I don't think there can be any argument that many will play for free or food, or the concept that MILB creates an opportunity. That is not the legal issue. The question is whether the players are entitled to the protection of certain wage and hour laws, especially now that MLB has become an incredibly lucrative business.
So, with those changes in the nature of MLB, is it right that MLB should be "exempt" for laws governing the treatment and pay of its employees, which are required of nearly every other business in the Country.
For instance, players get hurt all the time. Should MLB and its teams be exempt from the requirement to carry workers' compensation coverage and benefits for those employees who get hurt on the job? Should players "assume the risk" of injury, some career threatening and some of which impact on earnings and work after baseball, because there are many who would play for free or the opportunity to be a MLB player?
Should it enough a player who has a career ending injury which impacts their income ability after baseball that MLB "rewards" players with the opportunity to play the game they "love" when it is the talent and skills of the players which is creating millions and billions of dollars in revenue for the owners of MLB teams and Milb franchises? By analogy, should NFL and former NFL players assume the risk of dementia and other longer term issues created by concussions because the NFL provided an opportunity to play the game they love?
These are some of the issues and balances which are the the subject of the lawsuits. It is not clear that the wage/hour laws will apply to MLB as they apply to every other employer in the Country. It certainly seems fair that the questions are being asked, in my view.
If MLB should be required to cover employees for the medical and disability caused by work related injuries, should MLB also be required to comply with wage and hour laws for those same employees, and does the current compensation system set by MLB meet those obligations? Those are the issues in question.