Former relief pitcher Burke Badenhop, who threw for five teams in a career that spanned eight years, wrote about the New York Mets minor leaguer in a column for MLB Trade Rumors.
The problem for me arose when I heard he signed for $100,000, the equivalent of a bonus for a top ten round draft pick. For some reason, it hurt. It stung. …
I fully realize that Tebow will sell a lot of jerseys and will entice far more fans to come to the ballpark than I ever did. From a business standpoint, he will probably be profitable. But, as a former player, those ends don’t necessarily justify the means. Taking a roster spot on a minor league team is one thing, but also handing a guy $100,000 is another. This move comes in a day and age when minor leaguers are finally standing up and voicing their displeasure with how their salaries have drastically lagged behind the overall financial growth in our game. I immediately thought of all the struggles you have as a minor leaguer — all of the two-bedroom apartments you end up sharing with five guys. I would have killed for even a $5,000 bonus.
To see a team give a 29-year-old with no baseball experience a six-figure bonus because he was good at college football was confusing. The road to “The Show” isn’t a walk in the park. You don’t get to the big leagues as a 19th-rounder and stay without earning it. It was a badge of honor for me. This signing makes it seem that maybe teams don’t take the grind as seriously as the players do. It sends a very mixed message.
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