Guest Article: So You Think They Are Rich

Inevitably during one of the AA games I go to each year the question always seems to come up about how much do minor league players make? Here you go. Rookie League - Gulf Coast Red Sox, Foreign Rookie Dominican Summer League - $1,500/mo. 1st year, $1,200/mo. 2nd year, $1,250/mo. 3rd year. Short Season A - Lowell, MA, Utica, NY, Elmira, NY, Williamsport, PA - $1,150/mo. 1st year, $1,200/mo. 2nd year, $1,250/mo. 3rd year (Lowell). Low A - Greenville, SC, Augusta, GA, Winter Haven, FL, Lynchburg, VA, Winston-Salem, NC, Oneonta, NY - $1,300/mo. 1st year, $1,350/mo. 2nd year, $1,400/mo. 3rd year. High A - Salem, VA - $1,500/mo. 1st year, $1,550/mo. 2nd year, $1,600/mo. 3rd year. Double A - Portland, ME - $1,700/mo. 1st year, $1,800/mo. 2nd year, $1,900/mo. 3rd year. Triple A - Pawtucket, RI - $2,150/mo. 1st year, $2,400/mo. 2nd year, $2,700/mo. 3rd year. Major League - minimum salary is $400,000/year. Incentives include: $500 bonus after 60 days of Double A time, $1,000 bonus after 60 days of Triple A time, $5,000 bonus after 60 days of big league time. All minor league players receive $25 meal money per day when the team is away from home. Minor league players do not get paid during spring training. They receive $25 for every meal the team does not provide during spring training. Players may get a signing bonus depending upon where they were drafted. (Author: Coach Gaff)