Just because I feel fans should not try to tell owners they need to spend more on major league salaries that does not change the fact that minor league players are underpaid. Do I feel they need to be paid $100,000 per year? No. But I do think they should not be paid at extreme poverty levels. All major league clubs could afford to pay every minor league player an additional $10,000 per year without blinking an eye. That would only be a maximum of $4 million out of their pocket. There is a way to make that happen without cutting minor league teams. At that point, minor league players will still be paid very little but not be forced to sacrifice things like food to eat.
While many are not concerned about minor league teams or the number of minor league teams, each team eliminated could be reducing the chance that another Tommy Pham or Jose Martinez or Rangel Ravelo makes the major leagues. That is the type of player the Cardinals have always seem to come up with from their minor leagues. When you eliminate 3 minor league teams, there is not enough openings to carry some of those types of players. In addition, you are eliminating jobs from the communities where minor league games take place.