And that time is here for one Washington Nationals minor league star. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Bruce, get the bat. Oh. KELLY: Bruce the bat dog got the news this week.

The minor-league CBA in 2023 increased the minimum annual salary for players in Low A from $11,000 to $26,200. When Soto played at that level five years earlier, the minimum was in the $6,000 to ...