Cubs’ Adbert Alzolay’s Complaints About Per Diem Were ‘Misleading,’ Analyst Says

Chicago Cubs prospect Adbert Alzolay made some waves on Thursday when he posted a now-deleted tweet about the conditions players at the club’s alternate training site in South Bend, Indiana, according to Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports. The analyst also said the comments from the young pitcher were a bit misleading.

On Thursday, Alzolay took to social media to claim that players at the South Bend location were only given $18 per day for meals and that $8 were deducted from that amount for “dues.” He added that since players were expected to tip clubhouse attendants there wasn’t much money left to actually buy food. He also said that while there was food provided by the team, the low per diem meant they had to eat what was provided or find a way to purchase three meals a day with less than $10.

Stebbins said Alzolay was either getting misinformation from the Cubs or simply wasn’t doing the math right. The amount Cubs players at the South Bend location get in their per diem is $25. There are no dues taken out of that amount, though tips to clubhouse attendants are on the players and they are not given extra money to handle that. The players — attending what amounts to the team’s minor league summer camp — are given two packaged meals per day.

Stebbins also pointed out that once the regular season begins on July 23, the per diem will go up to $50 a day. The Cubs are also paying more than some other teams have offered their minor league camp players over the summer.

When the regular season arrives, minor leaguers will also be getting their regular salaries, though it will be pro-rated for the 60-game schedule. Six of the 11 Cubs that are at the minor league camp are not on the regular 40-man roster, so they are receiving $400 a week. Alzolay, who is on the 40-man roster, is reportedly earning considerably more. Thanks to an agreement the league and players arrived at regarding payment back in March, Alzolay will earn $30,000 this season.

Stebbins said it’s also important to note that the South Bend facility is considered one of the best in baseball. The players at the camp are staying in new apartments that were just finished and opened in December. They also aren’t being charged rent through the summer camp and the Cubs have said they will be working with the minor leaguers to subsidize the cost of those apartments after July 23.

On Thursday night, Alzolay posted on Twitter that he and the Cubs had worked out whatever issue had caused the misunderstanding.

We worked it out

— Adbert Alzolay (@adbert29) July 10, 2020