Tyler Cyr is making a name for himself. The San Francisco Giants minor league relief pitcher has climbed the organizational ladder, from rookie ball in 2015 to Triple-A Sacramento — one rung below the major leagues — this past season.
What he is not making: money.
In an attempt to shine a light on the plight of minor league baseball prospects, Cyr took to Twitter on Monday to share his paycheck. Which took some courage.
Here’s a final pay stub of a TRIPLE-A national champion ???? pic.twitter.com/3yoK5TuLgE
— Tyler Cyr (@tycyr93) October 7, 2019
Cyr’s contract was worth $10,275. His net pay was $8,216.58.
During his minor league career, Cyr has a 12-10 record with 29 saves and a 2.76 ERA.
The downside? He tweeted that since being drafted (in the 10th round in 2015) he has paid to play baseball — $94 in 2016; $112; 2017; $1,250 in 2018; and $487.64 in 2019.
He must love the game, even when the game doesn’t love him back. Because it appears he has options. According to baseball-reference.com, Cyr has attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. According to the school’s website, Embry-Riddle is the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace. Again, referring to the school’s website, Embry-Riddle offers a degree in aerospace engineering.
Want to know how much an aerospace engineer makes? According to Glassdoor, between $88,700 and $134,000 in San Jose.
It appears Cyr decided to raise awareness of minor league poverty when minor league pitcher Randy Dobnak, who Cyr says had to drive for Uber during spring training, was promoted to the Minnesota Twins major league roster and pitched against the New York Yankees in the ALDS.
