When Major League Baseball announced on March 12 that it was suspending the 2020 regular season due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, players were thrust into a state of uncertainty.
All remaining Spring Training games were cancelled, and the start of the regular season was initially delayed by a minimum of two weeks. That timeline was again pushed back when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against holding large gatherings for the next two months.
As the situation worsened, it became clear that ballpark employees and Minor League players would most be affected by MLB’s shutdown. With this in mind, all 30 teams pledged at least $1 million in relief to their respective stadium workers.
MLB also revealed that Minor League players would receive a stipend through May 31. With that date approaching, teams now face a decision as to whether to continue the program.
The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have joined the growing list of clubs that will pay their Minor League players $400 per week into June, via Kyle Glaser of Baseball America:
The Dodgers will continue to pay their minor leaguers $400 per week past May 31. The payments will be made to both their domestic minor leaguers and those in the Dominican Republic.
According to baseball insider Francys Romero, David Price is personally paying $1,000 to each Minor League player in the Dodgers organization who is not on the 40-man roster:
Sources: David Price will pay out of his money $ 1,000 during the month of June to each minor league player in Dodgers system (40-man roster not included) according to multiple sources. Beautiful act if we count that Price hasn't played yet in MLB with @Dodgers. RESPECT.
— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero10) May 29, 2020
While the Dodgers have ensured their Minor League players will continue being compensated, the club announced it has implemented tiered salary reductions to full-time employees to prevent furloughs and layoffs.
Economics has been at the forefront in talks between MLB and the Players Association as they attempt to finalize a plan for the 2020 season.
Team owners reportedly want players to take additional pay cuts based on a sliding scale, while the union has maintained it won’t accept anything less than prorated salaries based on the numbers of games played.
According to the Associated Press, the Dodgers would see a $232 million loss by paying players prorated salaries this season for games that do not have fans in attendance. That projection trails only the New York Yankees ($312 million).
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