How much do minor league baseball players earn in salary for 2012? AAA baseball players are just one step away from playing in the Major Leagues. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of professional baseball. Only the most talented and luckiest of ball players make it to the MLB. Their salaries are enormous. AAA players are in a league one step below the MLB and they are hoping for their big chance to play big league ball.
The mistake a lot of people make is to presume that since AAA players (or AA or single A for that matter) are so close to the big time that they must be making a lot of money. After all, if MLB players earn millions of dollars yearly on average you’d think AAA players make a few hundred grand a year, right?
Actually, they make a lot less than that. Players at the AAA level earn a minimum of $2150 per month in 2012 presuming it is not their first year in the league. If it is their first year in the league, the number is much less.
I linked a really interesting article below on minor league baseball salaries as well as other facts about the minors. Check it out.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120311/EDIT05/303119969/1021/EDIT
The major league players have a much higher minimum salary of course. Much, much higher. If you want to know what the Major League minimum salary for 2012 is the please click here to find out.
The mistake a lot of people make is to presume that since AAA players (or AA or single A for that matter) are so close to the big time that they must be making a lot of money. After all, if MLB players earn millions of dollars yearly on average you’d think AAA players make a few hundred grand a year, right?
Actually, they make a lot less than that. Players at the AAA level earn a minimum of $2150 per month in 2012 presuming it is not their first year in the league. If it is their first year in the league, the number is much less.
I linked a really interesting article below on minor league baseball salaries as well as other facts about the minors. Check it out.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120311/EDIT05/303119969/1021/EDIT
The major league players have a much higher minimum salary of course. Much, much higher. If you want to know what the Major League minimum salary for 2012 is the please click here to find out.
I was curious about what AAA players with major league experience would make. Would you have any idea? What I'm thinking about is like a marginal guy who has played a couple years in the bigs and then ends up in the minors. I believe there is a minimum based on the previous year's salary. Based on the major league minimum, for example, I think any guy who was on a MLB roster for 1 month is going to get at least $80,000 or so. I was curious and Googled this because I am wondering how a guy in his 30s who played and made around $500,000 last year, would get as a AAA player this year. It has to be in the 6 figures, if only barely.
ReplyDeleteBob, I tell ya, you've asked a great question. I'm not an expert at reading the lasted Players Union agreement but I think I found the part that you are asking about. It doesn't definitively answer your question but I'll try to fill in the gaps with my opinion too.
ReplyDelete1st...my opinion... the guy in his 30's who made $500,000 last year and goes to the minors would be paid whatever his contracted salary calls for this year regardless of minor league service or not That is to say, say his salary for subsequent years called for another $500,000 per year, he would continue to earn that in the minors until his contract ran out.
Now.... to get to the point I think you are really driving at....
2nd....fact (I hope :-) Say the player is no longer under major league contract but the team has allowed him the option to play in their minor league affiliate under a new, minimum agreement or if another team wants does the same at the minimum. Bascially the MLB / Players Union agreement reads "For all Players (a) signing a second Major League contract
(not covering the same season as any such Player’s initial Major
League contract) or a subsequent Major League contract, or (b) having
at least one day of Major League service, the minimum salary
shall be as follows: 2013 $79,900, 2014 $81,500 etc etc.
So you are real close on your guess of $80,000 though it only requires 1 day of services vs the month you estimated.
Also, there is no climbing scale for years of Major League Service in the minors that I can tell.
There's also a maximum salary reduction clause that I don't think applies here. Regardless let me give you the contract link here http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf If you start on page 10 and work your way down, you'll read everything I stated above and there more on salary reduction for resigned reserved players.
Clear as mud? Thanks again for stopping by
Glad I found this thread. There is a guy I have followed for years. Justin Christian. Played for the Giants last year, most of the year with the Giants. Got a World series ring, a full share of World Series bonus money. He was released and signed with St Louis and now plays for Memphis. Looks like he is making the aforementioned $80 k..
ReplyDelete