Home › The Cardinal Nation Forums › Open Forum › Minor league salaries
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April 28, 2020 at 8:23 am #127587
Tuesday at The Cardinal Nation: An in-depth interview with Garrett Broshuis @broshuis, the attorney who leads the minor league pay lawsuit and co-founded Advocates for Minor Leaguers @MiLBAdvocates. (free) https://t.co/xeuGvY731M pic.twitter.com/wGBN2kURWR
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) April 28, 2020
April 28, 2020 at 9:37 am #127601Reader email received just now:
I enjoyed the video interview with Garrett Broshius. It’s a good thing he is doing and I wish him success.
I was so impressed I donated to his 501(c)(3).
April 28, 2020 at 10:54 am #127611Great video Brian. I learned a few things about the minors and had never really heard of the 7 season commitment. I am from south Louisiana (coonass country) and down there we would pronounce Garrett’s last name as Bro-Shuss. Did I hear it pronounced different? Good info also on how other sports minor leagues are operating.
April 28, 2020 at 11:20 am #127614Thank you. The interview was on my to do list for a long time and some recent social media activity moved it up on my priorities.
To your pronunciation question, I am from the Midwest and thought it was same as you. But to be sure, I asked him just beforehand. He said his last name is of Dutch origin and sounded more like Brush-hoos than Brush-house, which is what came out of my mouth. I did try, at least…
On your seven-year point, it is commonly called “six-year minor league free agency” but the first year does not count. That is how long any minor leaguer is contractually committed to the organization with which he first signed (or is traded to), unless he is released first.
Then add at least six more years to it if a player is added to the 40-man roster. (More if you include three minor league option years.) That covers three years in MLB prior to arbitration and three years of arbitration. So a player could remain under control for as many as 10 or 12 years before he could become a free agent and actually choose his baseball employer for the first time.
Take John Gant as an example. He first signed in 2011 and nine years later, he still has three more years to go before he can be a free agent. In the meantime, he has already been traded twice.
It is tradeoff. MLB teams invest in the development of a player and understandably want to reap the benefit when he matures and reaches the majors. But the player wants to choose his place of employment and maximize his salary. Each CBA brings a new effort to find an acceptable balance point, but the focus is always on the major leaguers, not the minor leaguers. They fall behind.
April 28, 2020 at 12:31 pm #127624There is always something new to learn about this game. I thought I had it pretty well mastered after playing high school and college and then electing to go for a military commission rather than try out for a minor league team. I knew that my catching talents were not on a par with others I had watched. But at 80 I am still in learning mode and TCN has become a great schoolhouse for me. We haven’t been out of the house for over a month with the exception of doing grocery pickups at Walmart and meal pickups at various places. My wife who is 77 sneaked into a meat market at a very early hour the other day because she is set on picking out her own cuts of meat. But then she told me that would be the last time because if she happened to bring home the virus it could mean the death of both of us. I asked her how many others were there and she said 0 customers and she only saw the butcher and he was masked and gloved…lol.
Unfortunately it is going to take a mindset change following the reopening of many businesses. Some folks are going to have to convince themselves they can actually mix with other folks in a ‘normal’ way. A good day to all………………….wait…………..wait…………..Aw shucks I just thought I heard somebody screaming PLAY BALL but is was only a dream I guess.
May 8, 2020 at 7:19 am #128209From a Ken Rosenthal Q&A with Adain Wainwright:
Q: I know this is not necessarily your department, but do you have any thoughts on how to improve minor-league pay? I know these guys are not members of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Should major leaguers do more? Should the clubs do more? Both?
A: I don’t think it can be left up to major-league players. With players, you want them to give when they feel led to give. I do think the pay needs to increase. I’ve talked with major-league front-office people and they agree with me on that, that minor-league players should get their pay raised. A lot are living below the poverty line.
People are going to say, “If you don’t like it, play better. Get to the big leagues.” I understand that. But I was in a grocery store years ago when I was in Double A. I was 21 years old. And the guy behind me in the checkout line says, “Are you Wainwright?” I said, “Yessir.” He said, “Man, I never could understand you minor leaguers.” I said, “OK, tell me why.” He said, “Why would you not want to be in the big leagues?” And I said, “I think you misunderstand. I very much want to be in the big leagues.” He said, “Nah, if you wanted to be in the big leagues, you’d be in the big leagues. Professional baseball players can play wherever they want, right?” I said, “Sir, that is not even close to being right.”
I say that because there are a lot of misconceptions about professional baseball players. When you’re a kid, you never grow up saying, “I want to be a minor-league baseball player.” You want to be a superstar, play in the World Series — that’s the dream. For some of us, that has happened. But for the majority, it has not.
May 26, 2020 at 7:41 pm #129351The view from the bottom of the totem pole cannot be very good.
The Oakland A's informed minor league players today that they would not continue paying them $400 a week after the end of the month, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.
Other decisions from organizations should arrive in the coming days. A bad sign to start, though.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 27, 2020
Just some rough math. Say there are 200 players in a minor league system. Paying each $400/week for July, July and August is $5,200 per player. To pay every minor leaguer would have cost the Oakland A's a hair over $1 million.
Owner John Fisher is worth an estimated $2 billion.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 27, 2020
May 26, 2020 at 9:06 pm #129352A's told minor leaguers they've decided to end their $400/week stipend on May 31, with five days' notice. The part that says "your UPC remains in place" means "we won't pay you, but you do not have the right to be a free agent." Interesting this was sent by GM and not ownership. https://t.co/PJ2B4k1d5B
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) May 27, 2020
May 26, 2020 at 9:52 pm #129355Only for those wanting to dive into the bowels of why unionizing the minor leagues would be so difficult.
My latest for @BtBScore: @EugeneFreedman, baseball scribe and labor lawyer, on @MLB, @MLB_PLAYERS, and unionizing @MiLB https://t.co/iIhOWYtCKI
— Sheryl Ring: evictions shouldn't exist 🚩🌈⚾️ ✡️ (@Ring_Sheryl) May 26, 2020
May 26, 2020 at 10:25 pm #129356Former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden spares no punches.
Minor leaguers who get screwed, they grow up to be big leaguers who get screwed. They don’t forget. So when we’re at an impasse years down the road, Look back on decisions like this and please, PLEASE keep the well-being of the billionaires in the fore front of your mind. https://t.co/gcDBL18Itq
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) May 27, 2020
May 27, 2020 at 12:07 am #129369Dallas Braden is being sarcastic, of course. He doesn’t care about the billionaires. What he really wants is to keep the millionaires in the front of your mind. Notice, BTW, that the fans are completely taken for granted.
May 27, 2020 at 4:15 pm #129412This story has been updated to include the Padres and Rangers among the teams continuing to pay their minor leaguers past May 31. https://t.co/vsWNiMi6Kt
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) May 27, 2020
May 27, 2020 at 4:45 pm #129416Just play the games that will solve the issue.
May 27, 2020 at 5:25 pm #129417How do you figure that?
May 27, 2020 at 8:15 pm #129419Didn’t the Toronto Blue Jays double the pay of their minor leaguers last year?
And Oakland is giving them furloughs?
Where do you think those undrafted kids are going to sign for $20k?
May 28, 2020 at 2:21 pm #129456Goold delivers the good news. National guys deliver the bad.
#Cardinals will continue to pay the allowance to their minor-league players through the end of June, official says. Decisions are made month to month, but team is hopeful to pay through the end of a season. #stlcards #MLB
— Derrick S. Goold (@dgoold) May 28, 2020
#STLCards another team releasing minor leaguers today, according to multiple sources. Known teams to make cuts: Mariners, Brewers, Reds, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Rockies, Braves, DBacks, Rays.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) May 28, 2020
May 28, 2020 at 3:23 pm #129460Looks like this wave will be game-wide.
In normal years, cuts happen but not en masse like this. The fallout from the coronavirus, expected minor league contraction and the anticipated cancellation of the 2020 minor league season prompted organizations each to release dozens of players, who were being paid $400 a week.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 28, 2020
May 28, 2020 at 6:04 pm #129467The #stlcards released 10 players on March 31. We are waiting to see how many more are out. Excluding the 40-man roster and about 90 DSL players, there were 160 minor leaguers remaining under contract – until now. (free) https://t.co/NxSySQHrZF
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) May 28, 2020
May 28, 2020 at 9:28 pm #129482The Braves have released over 50 minor leaguers. Most years, that number is about 25. This is not the norm. This is an unprecedented moment in baseball history.
— More Than Baseball (@mtb_org) May 29, 2020
May 28, 2020 at 11:07 pm #129486Interesting if true. It would explain how and why all teams agreed to pay through May 31.
And, under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act, the teams received forgivable loans to carry them (and all employees) for 60 days, meaning, as soon as the grants expired, they stopped paying the players.
— (((EugeneFreedman))) (@EugeneFreedman) May 28, 2020
May 29, 2020 at 5:48 am #129487There was a mention on the local news last night that the Springfield Cards ballpark employees and game day folks will continue to be paid but I missed the cutoff date.
May 29, 2020 at 7:27 am #12948814NyquisTParticipantWould it be accurate to guess that the Cards will release +/- 30 players? Or will it be more? Any ideas about who is near the top of the list?
May 29, 2020 at 7:49 am #129489Will the Cards release a list of players who are let go?
May 29, 2020 at 8:09 am #12949114NyquisT asked:
Would it be accurate to guess that the Cards will release +/- 30 players? Or will it be more? Any ideas about who is near the top of the list?
Numbers unknown. I will not speculate on names. That would not be fair or appropriate, IMO.
MM3 asked:
Will the Cards release a list of players who are let go?
Eventually. This entire matter is being handled oddly. (Guessing there is an MLB-wide moratorium until they have contacted all the players.)
May 29, 2020 at 9:13 am #129493Some media types are misrepresenting the minor league cuts as “they would have happened, anyway.” Some, yes, but not anywhere near all. However, many organizations did not drop players in March, so their numbers will be higher now.
According to BA data, here are the prior number of releases by the Cards in recent years between March and May:
2018 36
2019 19
2020 (prior to now) 10All 30 organizations are listed here.
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