Augliera with the Portland Sea Dogs in 2014.
Mike Augliera was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Mike spent one year playing Low A ball with the Lowell Spinners in 2012 and one year in High A with the Salem Red Sox in 2013. He was then promoted to the AA Portland Sea Dogs for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Mike talks about life in the Minor Leagues and despite playing in the Red Sox organization, which is known for treating their players very well, he still had a difficult time.
"It was difficult to live on the salary we made, especially when we didn’t live with host families. I was lucky for 2 years to live with a great family where we didn’t pay rent. The times we had to pay rent, I’d leave at the end of the season with very little money, if any at all. We’d have to decide some days on if we should stop for breakfast on way to the field or just load up on bananas and granola bars.
With the Red Sox, we were treated very well with our facilities and staff. Financially, I think it is very sad that Minor League players are paid the way they are. In the offseason, I’d have to schedule my training and throwing around my substitute teaching schedule. I wasn’t in a position where I could skip on either substitute teaching or training. I had many long nights in the offseason thinking of where I was at financially.
During the season, the economics were less involved in our thinking because we were playing. The offseason is where all of that stress and frustration would come up, since we were no longer getting paid."
-Mike Augliera