Twins prospects highlight challenges for low-paid minor leaguers

Minor league baseball players don't have inflated salaries and big endorsement deals. Instead, they supplement their income with odd jobs and by living with their parents.

Twins prospect Chris Paul drives his car for Uber during the offseason. Max Murphy lives with mom and dad. Trey Vavra spent an offseason working at a truck stop.

The Twins minor league affiliate in Fort Myers helped remind baseball fans that all professional baseball players aren't wealthy in an in-depth story published by Southwest Florida's News-Press.

The interesting article titled "Minor league players earn less than minimum wage" reveals just how bad the pay really is and what players are doing to create change.

Fort Myers Miracle players start at $1,500 a month and often work 60-plus hour work weeks, which when you break it down, is an hourly wage just north of $6. Florida's minimum wage is $8.05 and the federal minimum is $7.25. Minnesota's minimum wage is $9.

During spring training, players receive only $120 a week in meal money. During the offseason, minor league and big league players are not paid.

Comparatively, the major league minimum salary averages out to about $85,000 a month.

Here is an excerpt from David Dorsey's story:

As the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft and a touted pitching prospect, Jay has an extra source of offseason income not afforded to many of his peers. He signs baseball cards of himself for cash. Card companies sent him about 10,000 cards last offseason and paid him $6 per card.

"I can't even imagine how hard some of these guys have to work in the offseason," Jay said. "And at the same time, they still have to prepare themselves."

Gibson said it was unfortunate minor leaguers didn't make more money.

"Some guys have to quit playing minor league baseball," Gibson said, "not because they're not good enough but because they can no longer afford to play."

Here is a breakdown of their salaries at each level of competition, provided by the News-Press: