1/31/17

Mack - Kyle Johnson



Here's a great story on the Mets Kyle Johnson and his fight for a fair salary...

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/01/minor-league-baseball-pay-fair-labor-standards-act-minimum-wage-lawsuit-kyle-johnson 

5 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Major league baseball is an absolute disgrace in terms of how incredibly little they compensate minor leaguers. How do they sleep at night? it is sickening.

A guy in the top level of the minor leagues playing the whole 5 month schedule gets $12,000, and is not paid for several weeks of spring training. Guys at the lowest minor league levels make $1,000 per month. Disgraceful.

AAA guys should get at least $50K and get paid at least something for spring training as well. But ownership, whose teams are often valued at $1 billion or more, conveniently look the other way.

Screw MLB - skip one game this year that you were planning to attend, and tell the Mets Front Office this is why you skipped it. And for games you do go to, tell them you skipped buying any hot dogs and beer and will continue to not do so until this is properly rectified. That is what I am planning to do. Fans nationwide should do it - and then these players would not have to be impoverished or risk their careers in retribution for their lawsuit.

Hobie said...

Question Mack, or anyone: Do minor leaguers on the 40-man (i.e. non-active) make the MLB minimum?

That means a nice raise for Flexen, Nido etc.

Mack Ade said...

I remember having a conversation after Josh Thole was promoted to AAA, was put on the 40-man, and was chosen to catch Santana when he was rehabbing their.

We laughed about the 'raise' he had got, so no, I think the amount was based on the level he was playing.

Now 25-man does get you the major league minimum for each month you play there.

(I think that is how it works... anyone, feel free to correct me if I am wrong)

Hobie said...

Googled around a bit --
from TrueBlueLA (Nov 2015):

"This is for players on the 40-man roster, for when they are in the minors. Players off the 40-man roster get paid at archaic rates that are comically low, so much so that a lawsuit in the works could reach class action status.

"For players on their first major league contract (first time on a 40-man roster), for example likely Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling in 2016 for instance, the minimum salary when in the minors remains at $41,400.

"For players on their second major league contract, and every one thereafter, the minimum salary when in the minors is $82,700."

Tom Brennan said...

For AAA, $82,700 should be the minimum, even if the guy's never been to the bigs. Give decent wages.