I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However, they do provide a nutritious, balanced, athletic diet for Lunch, Pre-Game Snacks, and Dinner after the game.
For the 2026 season, minor-league players receive $32.50 per day in road-trip per diem. It applies to each day they are traveling with their club during the regular season or postseason. In addition, teams must provide two nutritious meals each day the player reports for a game or workout, including both home and road games: one before and one afterward, plus clubhouse snacks.
So, in practical terms:
Road games: two team-provided meals plus $32.50 cash per day.
Home games: two team-provided meals, but generally no daily cash per diem.
Obviously, there are two problems here:
- Some players might choose to drink their per diem; and
- Some foreign-born players send their per diem home to their parents.
The Dodgers solved both problems by providing the meals to the players. They have food trailers at all four levels to ensure their minor leaguers receive both athletic training and high nutrition. Here’s the video interview:
P.S. The cover photo is AI. The trailer is actually unmarked…
Discussion (6)
Disagree, not disagreeable
According to MLBTR, the Mets will be sellers at the deadline. They would like to move Lindor who is having an awful season. Bichette is owed 42 mil next year, so he will probably be hard to move. But they could trade Freddie Peralta and Luke Weaver.
Bluto, you were wrong. Close but no cigar. Ohtani did indeed homer in the second game of the Cubs series, but his homer came in the 5th inning and was the third LA homer of the game. Tommy Edman homered off of Justin Steele in the 3rd, and Kike homered off of him in the 4th. The last LA homer of the year did indeed belong to Shohei, LA hit 3 homers in that game also, Kim in the 2nd off of Bryce Miller, his 3rd, Freeman in the 3rd off of Miller, his 24th, and Ohtani off of Gabe Speier in the 7th, his 55th.
Anybody read Plaschke this morning?
“The Dodgers need to deal for Skubal.”
It read like I was reading my own thoughts. I know many think he’s just a crabby old man. Maybe that’s why I like him. I can identify with what he writes and how he writes it. Not always of course, but often.
It feels like it’s unfolding just how I thought it might. The Dodgers need starting pitching they can count on. Snell and Glasnow? They’ve been ghosts to this point. Can they be counted on? Maybe. Ryan? Maybe. What’s with Ohtani? Does he need rest? Sasaki? Sheehan?
The Dodgers need to deal for Skubal.
These guys don’t get paid much. So great perk for them. So how do other teams provide the 2 meals? Do they pay for that PLUS give the $32.50?