By the end of the week, U.S. law will likely allow Major League Baseball to pay its minor leaguers an unlivable wage.
The new $1.3 trillion spending bill that passed Congress Thursday contains a provision that exempts minor-league baseball players from labor standards, per the New York Times. MLB has previously skirted around this issue by contesting that players are seasonal apprentices, and not full-time employees.
Currently, some teams pay their minor leaguers less than $1,500 per month for a six-month period, which is far less than minimum wage.
MLB argues it wouldn't be able to support its vast minor league system if players made more. But that seems far-fetched, considering MLB generates $10 billion per year in revenue.
It's understandable if owners don't want to shell out big bucks for minor league salaries, considering players who don't reach the big leagues only spend 2.5 seasons in the minors –– highlighting the temporary nature of the job. Players drafted in the upper rounds also receive sizable signing bonuses, and those who make it to the major leagues can quickly earn salaries well into the six figures.
But there's a difference between lavish spending and providing a livable wage. Keeping minor leaguers above the poverty line could have positive long-term effects, too. They would be able to live better, and maybe spend their offseasons training, rather than trying to work another job on the side.
While that argument is sensible, it will probably remain hypothetical. The rights of minor-league players are virtually non-existent.
