Final Review
Wes, yes, the pay increases as you go. The Class-A minimum pay is just over $1000 per month, Double-A minimum is around $1500 a month, and the Triple-A minimum is around $2000 a month. So, as you work your way up, you get paid more. Also, the players get rewarded and paid more after being with the team for multiple years.
The players who get drafted and don’t sign go back to their normal lives. Most of them will be playing college ball in hopes to get drafted higher next year or higher in the future. The higher in the draft you go, the higher you get paid. It is also a bit of a gamble, though. Some players end up “throwing out” their arms or simply lose their swing and never make it even to the minors.
Jaws, your question is great and would be tough to decide on. The players now in the lower leagues could possibly move up to Double-A. Maybe we should expand the current Double-A rosters to allow for this. With this problem, once it is solved initially, it will be gone! I like your idea of still having these leagues, but not have them connected to MLB teams. There is an independent league; such as the St. Paul Saints or Sioux Falls Canaries who that play ball at a level just below the minors. The lower minor leagues would be treated just like the independent leagues and MLB organizations can pick up these players. Getting rid of the lower minor leagues would be difficult, but would be beneficially better for players.
The more I look at the issue, the more I believe the lower minor league clubs should deteriorate.
