Usually, at this point in the calendar, Mark Washington would be working to secure an off-season gig. The minor league pitcher was accustomed to this scramble: After grinding through the season, Washington lined up a new job for the winter, spending the next few months getting up early for workouts before spending hours on his feet at work and trying to cram in bullpen sessions or additional time in the gym where he could. It was not exactly the ideal way to hone his craft as a ballplayer. But he didn’t have a choice. There was no pay for minor leaguers in the winter—or in spring training—and virtually no way to save anything from their meager salaries during the summer. Any development or rest in the offseason had to come around second (or third) jobs.
This year? The situation has finally changed. For the first time, all minor leaguers will be paid over the offseason, $250 a week for players at home. That’s game-changing (and life-changing) for players like Washington.
“It’s just the peace of mind,” says the 27-year-old reliever, who spent this season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. “It’s not having to worry about what I’m going to do in the offseason, am I going to be able to make ends meet, all of that. . . . It’s helped a lot, honestly, just mentally. I don’t have to stress as much.”
