Professional Ball:
Baseball
Tips
Other
Aspect Of The Game
Tips
Other
Aspect Of The Game
Signing A Professional Contract
There are a few steps to playing professional baseball and signing a professional contract. First is getting scouted. You will have to either play high school, college, or some other kind of baseball league for professional scouts to see you. If you aren't playing on a team you will have to attend tryouts that the professional teams hold all over the country. Once you get on a scout or a particular teams radar, then you will begin talking to them (usually through the scout who is going to sign you). There are 2 ways to get picked up by a professional team. The draft and as a free agent. Pretty much anyone who wasn't drafted and is not currently under any other professional contract is a free agent. These are those of you who are planning to attend the tryouts.
For The Draft:
Once a player is drafted a scout or director will call the player and a signing bonus will be offered. The player can negotiate this himself or have his agent do it.
Signing Bonuses are usually determined by the round that the player was drafted in. You can usually get a good idea from the previous years draft signing bonuses for what the "slot money" is for where you got drafted. First round draft picks are usually in the low millions of dollars. They can get up to a few million for the first few draft picks and down to just under a million later in the first round. The higher the round, the lower the signing bonus will be (usually). There are a few things that can keep you from getting slot money. If you are a senior in college you will usually get less money because you have no options. Either you sign, or you go play independent baseball. The clubs hold that over you and can give you less of a signing bonus because of it. Another reason you may not get slot money is if your grades are bad. They can do this because of the same reason they do it to seniors. If you are going to be ineligible the next season, you really have no choice but to sign so they offer you less of a signing bonus.
Once the signing bonus is negotiated. The player will sign a standard 7 Year Minor League Contract in which they will recieve a salary on top of their signing bonus. The Minor League salary is significantly less than the Major League minimum salary.
For Free Agents:
After a tryout a team may choose to elect you to play in their minor league system. If you accept you will sign a standard 7 Year Minor League Contract. No signing bonus is usually given.
In General:
When scouting for professional players, scouts will try to find out a players "signability". Signability is how able and willing a baseball player is to sign a professional contract and for what signing bonus will he be happy. Sometimes less signable guys get more than slot money because they are great players and clubs want to persuade them to sign. On the other hand, sometime less signable guys get over passed because clubs don't want to over pay or hassle with someone who is not worth it. This is why having an agent is a good thing. They can honestly asess the situation and negotiate for the money you deserve.
For The Draft:
Once a player is drafted a scout or director will call the player and a signing bonus will be offered. The player can negotiate this himself or have his agent do it.
Signing Bonuses are usually determined by the round that the player was drafted in. You can usually get a good idea from the previous years draft signing bonuses for what the "slot money" is for where you got drafted. First round draft picks are usually in the low millions of dollars. They can get up to a few million for the first few draft picks and down to just under a million later in the first round. The higher the round, the lower the signing bonus will be (usually). There are a few things that can keep you from getting slot money. If you are a senior in college you will usually get less money because you have no options. Either you sign, or you go play independent baseball. The clubs hold that over you and can give you less of a signing bonus because of it. Another reason you may not get slot money is if your grades are bad. They can do this because of the same reason they do it to seniors. If you are going to be ineligible the next season, you really have no choice but to sign so they offer you less of a signing bonus.
Once the signing bonus is negotiated. The player will sign a standard 7 Year Minor League Contract in which they will recieve a salary on top of their signing bonus. The Minor League salary is significantly less than the Major League minimum salary.
For Free Agents:
After a tryout a team may choose to elect you to play in their minor league system. If you accept you will sign a standard 7 Year Minor League Contract. No signing bonus is usually given.
In General:
When scouting for professional players, scouts will try to find out a players "signability". Signability is how able and willing a baseball player is to sign a professional contract and for what signing bonus will he be happy. Sometimes less signable guys get more than slot money because they are great players and clubs want to persuade them to sign. On the other hand, sometime less signable guys get over passed because clubs don't want to over pay or hassle with someone who is not worth it. This is why having an agent is a good thing. They can honestly asess the situation and negotiate for the money you deserve.
Standard 7 Year Minor League Contract:
The Standard 7 Year Minor League Contract consist of a pay scale for each level of the minor leagues plus an incentives package. As of 2009 the pay scale for most players is as follows:
All wages are based on first year participation. Each additional year of service at each level adds $100 a month.
Rookie $1,100/mo
Short Season A $1,100/mo
Low A $1,200/mo
High A $1,300/mo
Double A $1,700/mo
Triple A $2,300/mo
The incentives include:
$500 bonus after 60 days in Double A time.
$1000 bonus after 60 days Triple A time.
$5000 bonus after 60 days Big League time.
All minor league players recieve $20 meal money per day that the team is away from home. Not including the off season.
The Standard 7 Year Minor League Contract consist of a pay scale for each level of the minor leagues plus an incentives package. As of 2009 the pay scale for most players is as follows:
All wages are based on first year participation. Each additional year of service at each level adds $100 a month.
Rookie $1,100/mo
Short Season A $1,100/mo
Low A $1,200/mo
High A $1,300/mo
Double A $1,700/mo
Triple A $2,300/mo
The incentives include:
$500 bonus after 60 days in Double A time.
$1000 bonus after 60 days Triple A time.
$5000 bonus after 60 days Big League time.
All minor league players recieve $20 meal money per day that the team is away from home. Not including the off season.