OK lets give minor league players minimum wage. Heck, lets double that. I am all for it! Do they deserve it, sure, why not?
What I don't understand is how eliminating the draft would change or solve this issue. Seems the very best prospects would get even more money having 30 clubs bidding for their service. Definitely the agents would love that. What do you suppose the 30th round pick is worth on the open market. All 30 clubs passed on him at least 29 times. The large market teams would love getting rid of the draft.
There are players selected earlier than you might expect because they are college seniors with no leverage. Would they be worth more money without the draft? Seems without the draft, the rich would just get richer. Doubt it would help solve anything for the lower end guys.
I do think players in the minors should be paid better. But for now there is reality to consider. It is what it is! The player has a choice if he is drafted or someone wants to sign him as a free agent. If someone offers you an opportunity, you either take it or you don't. This has nothing to do with working in an accounting firm. I could shovel dirt all day at $25 an hour and make a decent living or I could be below the poverty line and play baseball. I could sit behind a desk starting out at $60,000 or go play professional baseball. It's my choice if given the opportunity, I would pick baseball. If I really loved flipping burgers for some reason, I might pick that over a high paying job. Bottom line... It is my choice!
Why do college grads attend MLB Tryouts? Spend there own money traveling to Tryouts hoping they can hook up with one of those poverty level jobs? Why do grads from the highest academic colleges enter into professional baseball when they could earn $80-$100K starting out doing something else?
If someone had a business that required 10,000 employees, knowing most of them will never end up helping your business profit a dime. 9,000 of those employees will simply be replaced by others and all will be an expense... What would you do? Give everyone a raise?
I look at minor league baseball similar to an extended tryout. The MLB clubs are looking for MLB players. It's like going to a MLB try out, and after awhile they keep some around for an extended look. In this case they have seen the players and signed some for an extended look. What if minor league baseball had zero salaries? Maybe they just house you, feed you, and take care of the basic needs. The players they want the most get big bonus, others are still trying out. Because somebody decided playing in the Rookie League is a job, it needs to be handled like an accounting firm? The majority of those playing their first year of professional baseball don't look at it as a job. They are hoping to make it a job and have a career in baseball. In many ways I look at it as further advanced education. And we all know how expensive education can be.
Lastly... How do we count hours in order to pay a fair wage to baseball players? Is it 8 hours a day. Is it 12 hours a day? Is it 24 hours a day?