The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly working on an increase of more than 50 per cent for all minor-league players, The Athletic’s Emily Waldon and Ken Rosenthal report.
The announcement comes nearly a year after the US Congress passed the ‘Save America’s Pastime Act,’ which allows franchises to deny overtime pay to minor-leaguers and keep salaries under minimum wage, classifying baseball players as seasonal workers and excludes them from the USA’s Fair Labor Standards Act from 1938.
“We’re cognizant of the challenges Minor League Baseball puts on the players,” Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro told The Athletic. “This was an opportunity and a juncture in time when we were capable of recognizing the challenges that exist in the salary as well.”
All eight of the Blue Jays’ minor-league affiliates are included in the change, from the Dominican Summer League team to triple-A Buffalo.
According to The Athletic’s Levi Weaver, Single-A players currently earn an average salary of $1,100 to $1,500 a month, while Triple-A players make around $2,150 to $2,400 monthly.
“It’s a comprehensive increase for every minor-league player,” Blue Jays vice-president of baseball operations Ben Cherington told Waldon and Rosenthal. “While it’s not going to be life-changing for any particular player, in total it’s a real sum of money. So, obviously, there’s a budgeting process as well. We had to go through that.”
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