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Millions. These guys get paid millions to play a kids game. This is all because of the sacrafices of Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally and the vision of Marvin Miller. From Wiki:

Messersmith is most famous for his role in the historic 1975 Seitz decision which led to the downfall of Major League Baseball’s reserve clause and ushered in the current era of free agency. It began when Messersmith went to spring training in 1975 and began negotiating his 1975 contract. He asked for a no-trade clause which the Dodgers refused. According to author John Helyar, in The Lords of the Realm, Messersmith was also deeply offended by general manager Al Campanis “inject(ing) a personal issue” into the talks (it “cut so deeply with him,” Helyar has written, that Messersmith since has never been able to bring himself to disclose or discuss it), and the pitcher refused to deal with anyone lower than team president Peter O’Malley.



He also pitched 1975 without a contract, leading the National League in complete games and shutouts and finishing second in earned run average with 2.29, not to mention winning a Gold Glove (his second) as the league’s best-fielding pitcher. Messersmith and Dave McNally were the only two players in 1975 playing on the one year reserve clause in effect at the time, technically; McNally’s season ended early due to injuries and he returned home, intending to retire, but agreeing to players’ union director Marvin Miller’s request that he sign onto the Messersmith grievance in case Messersmith ended up signing a new deal with the Dodgers before the season ended.



“It was less of an economic issue at the time than a fight for the right to have control over your own destiny,” Messersmith told The Sporting News, looking back on his decision a decade later. “It was a matter of being tired of going in to negotiate a contract and hearing the owners say, ‘OK, here’s what you’re getting. Tough luck’.”



Messersmith and McNally won their case before arbitrator Peter Seitz, who was fired by the owners the day afterward. McNally followed through on his intention to retire but Messersmith signed a three-year, $1 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. Among other things, then-Braves owner Ted Turner suggested the nickname “Channel” for Messersmith and jersey number 17, in order to promote the television station that aired Braves games. Major League Baseball quickly nixed the idea.

So that’s why player’s don’t have to sell cars or work for UPS in the off-season. Here are some recent extensions.

• The New York Yankees are willing to bend their own rules to keep Alex Rodriguez in pinstripes beyond this season.

• The Indians have signed designated hitter Travis Hafner to a four-year, $57 million contract extension, FOXSports.com has learned. Imagine if he was having a good year.

• Since it appears the Mariners are poised to offer as much as $100 million in a new contract for Ichiro, perhaps they should meet him at his San Francisco hotel for breakfast this morning before his price goes up.

• Mark Buehrle is staying with the White Sox. The left-hander agreed to a four-year, $56 million deal Sunday, ending weeks of trade speculation about Chicago’s best pitcher

• Ryan Franklin (NO SHIT) 34, who has been one of the Cardinals’ most consistent performers this season at 3-0 with a 1.29 earned-run average out of the bullpen, has agreed to a two-year contract extension for 2008-09, plus a club option for 2010.

Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed on the contract for Franklin, but it is presumed he will double his current salary, plus a bit more. He was a low-budget, high-reward signing by the Cardinals at a base of $1 million for this year.