Rick Rodriguez / Unsplash
With Major League Baseball revenues continuing to grow ($10.7 billion in 2019), the league continues its apathy with minor league players earning poverty-level wages.
Since 1976, the basement salary in the majors has gone up more than 2,500 percent, while in the minors, it has gone up less than 70 percent.
Minimum salary ranges from $290 per week for rookie leaguers—$3,480 for a three-month season—to $500 per week for players at Triple A—$10,000 for a five-month season. [via Sports Illustrated]
The Oakland Athletics are the most recent MLB team to demonstrate their indifference towards their prospects, informing minor league players on Tuesday that they will not continue to pay them after May 31. The next paycheck they’ll receive will come next April, as minor leaguers only get paid during the season.
“Unfortunately, considering all of the circumstances affecting the organization at this time, we have decided not to continue your $400 weekly stipend beyond May 31,” read the email, sent by GM David Forst and obtained by Sports Illustrated. “This was a difficult decision and it’s one that comes at a time when a number of our full-time employees are also finding themselves either furloughed or facing a reduction in salary for the remainder of the season. For all of this, I am sorry.”
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
And as an extra knife twist, Forst announced that the players do not become free agents and are not free to sign with other teams.
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
The owner of the Oakland A’s is worth 2.10 (remember that .10 is 10 million) but he isn’t willing to pay minor leaguers $400 a month (which is already criminally low). https://t.co/eHl1Z8ATrl pic.twitter.com/oRmrGhLc12
— Pat Egan (@Pat_Egan) May 27, 2020
So basically all Oakland A’s minor leaguers are stuck not getting paid from May 31st on, but have to stay in game ready shape eating training like athlete, but also can’t get a another job because 1 phone call u have to drop everything n go.
Nothing about this is professional.
— Eric Sim (@esim69) May 27, 2020
What the Oakland A's doing is predatory and vicious. I struggle to imagine other teams won't follow suit. They're doing it because they know they can get away with it.
It's just wrong, it's all wrong.
It makes me sad to see the sport I love in shambles.
— jay (@jacob_byb) May 27, 2020
Oakland A’s? More like Oakland A-Holes! I do improv!