Once upon a time, baseball players were paid so little they had to get jobs in the offseason. It sounds crazy nowadays -- the players can thank Marvin Miller for putting an end to that -- but it’s absolutely true. They’d play baseball in the summer and work elsewhere in the winter.

These days players work out in the winter and try to improve (of course they do), but there’s also more downtime to spend with family and friends. Rays utility player Nick Franklin used some of that downtime to make some extra cash as an Uber driver this offseason.

I’ve heard of minor-league players working as an Uber driver during spring training -- they’d go to the complex to get their work in each morning, then drive in the afternoon -- and I’m sure plenty do it during the offseason as well. 

But a big leaguer making good money? Can’t say I’ve heard of that before. But hey, Franklin had the free time over the winter and he used it to provide a public service. Good for him.