MLB Player Pool Salary Will Give Some Minor Leaguers A Pay Bump

By J.J. Cooper
on July 1, 2020

For minor leaguers, being named to the 60-man player pool will result in either a minor pay bump or a major one.

Players not on the 40-man roster who are part of the player pool working out at their team’s alternate site will be paid as if they are playing at Triple-A once the 2020 MLB season begins, according to multiple MLB front office officials.

That means players will receive a minimum of roughly $500 per week during their time playing at the alternate site. Players with previous Triple-A experience will receive larger paydays.

For a player who was scheduled to head to high Class A this year, that would be a $310 pay bump from what they were set to receive this year in a normal season. In reality it’s lessened by the fact that players have been receiving a $400 per diem during the season suspension.

The Giants, Blue Jays and Cubs have already raised their minor league pay in advance of MLB’s mandated pay bump for 2021, so their players will receive more.

For minor league veterans and players with MLB experience, being included on the 60-player pool will be much more lucrative. Players are to be paid as if they were playing at Triple-A, so a player on a split contract could receive $10,000, $15,000 or $30,000 a month if that was what their minor league salary called for.

So for a veteran minor leaguer, being included on the 60-man player pool could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. And similarly, being left off the player pool is a significant financial blow as a player. A player who could have made high five figures or low six figures in a normal minor league season is instead receiving a $1,600 a month per diem.