Blue Jays minor leaguers benefitting from pay increase
Riley Adams is one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ prospects that’s benefitting from the club’s decision to raise what they pay their minor leaguers by roughly 50 per cent.
July 13, 2019
By Cam Black-Araujo
Canadian Baseball Network
Just about every baseball player grows up dreaming of playing in the majors which in turn means being drafted and playing minor league baseball is also a part of their dream.
The beginning of pro ball typically comes shortly after being drafted which means some are potentially just 17-years-old or just leaving a college, typically an American one.
Life in the minor leagues can surprise a lot of young kids coming out of high school, not just because the step forward talent wise but also because life away from the field. And for the college kids, it can often times resemble the life they were living shortly before when they were on campus.
“It was totally different than I expected,” says Eric Sim, a former minor leaguer who played seven seasons in the Giants system and now lives in Duncan, B.C.
He’s well known in the Canadian baseball community for his Twitter account (@esim4300) where he isn’t afraid to speak on his experience in the MiLB.
“I went to instructional which is a month long camp and didn’t get paid for that and then spring training happened, still didn’t get paid for that and then I got stuck in extended spring training which I obviously didn’t get paid for either so that year I ended up making only three or four grand.”
The lowest levels of the minors pay just $1,100 a month while triple-A players make between $2,150 and $2,400 monthly according to Sportsnet, but they only get paid while on a roster. Players who do not get selected early enough and get that big enough bonus can really struggle financially playing in the MiLB.
While this is the reality for so many minor leaguers, players that are currently coming through the Blue Jays system don’t have that burden when it comes to money as the club announced prior to the season they will be raising minor league pay by roughly 50 per cent.
Riley Adams, the Blue Jays No. 4 catching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been in the farm system since he was selected in the third round of the 2017 Draft and is now playing in double-A New Hampshire. He played in the lower levels of the organization prior to the increase and he’s very thankful for the ways it’s helped his game this year.
“They’re the only organization right now to voluntarily give us a pay increase which is really remarkable and shows they’re investing in us and they believe in us and they want us to be able to go perform on the field,” explains 23-year-old Adams.
“We have a little more peace of mind knowing we’re getting a little bit of a pay increase and that’s helped us on the field so it’s pretty cool.”
Josh Hiatt is a rookie pitcher within the organization after being taken in the 16th round last year thus meaning he never had the experience of sharing a three-bedroom apartment with five other roommates like Sim did.
The 22-year-old who plays for the low-A Lansing Lugnuts was thrilled to have his pro career begin where it did.
“It’s been a blessing to be drafted by an organization that cares enough about the players to do this and it really has been a big help to not just me, but a lot of guys,” says Hiatt, a former North Carolina Tar Heel
“Where it helps the most is paying rent and not worrying about what you’re going to eat and not having to go cheap every time.”
It’s likely not many people would be upset with a 50 per cent increase on each paycheque but when you were making less than minimum wage before, it means even more.
Every minor leaguer has their stories, even the ones who end up being taken in the first round and landing bonuses in the multi-millions.
The Blue Jays are the only team in baseball right now that has increased the wages in the minors to a livable sum and while it hopefully won’t be long until other teams to do it, the Blue Jays have an advantage when it comes to leveraging draftees to sign with them.
“You don’t think this year and next year the guys who are getting drafted aren’t going to realize the Blue Jays are paying their minor leaguers 50 per cent more?” asked Sim.
“It’s going to be ‘hey, I got drafted by the Blue Jays instead of another team and I’ll get paid a little better and be able to take care of myself,” continued Sim, who’s now a bar manager and says financially it’s been far more rewarding.
It’s been a huge step forward for the organization and no one will agree with that more than the Adams, Hiatt and the rest of the players benefitting from this.