Why I Hate the New Amateur Draft Bonus Cap Rules

By The Common Man

On the one hand, The Common Man is exceptionally happy to see labor peace reign in Major League Baseball. More baseball is inherently better than less baseball, and as we saw from 1994-1995 (and we're witnessing now with the NBA situation), a work stoppage can absolutely cripple a sport financially and in the public eye. That said, the billionaires who own the MLB franchises and the millionaires who play the game are making their bargain on the backs of the most vulnerable people in the sport, the amateur players who don't yet have a voice in union negotiations.

Being a professional baseball player is a great privilege. You get paid to play a game, and if you're really good or your name is Drew Butera, for some reason, you get paid a lot of money for it. It's tempting, as we look at the salaries paid to modern players, and to their agents, to get resentful, especially when we consider how much more they make than teachers, firefighters, military service members, and cops.

But it's worth remembering that, for every player that makes the Major Leagues, four minor leaguers will not. These are players that train for their entire lives to become Major League ballplayers who have that dream snuffed out once it becomes clear they don't have what it takes. Some of these young men make just around $6,000 for six months of work, out of which they're expected to pay rent and clubhouse dues. Most of these young men got no more than $1,000 as a bonus to sign their first professional contract.