The Angels' approach to the coronavirus pandemic is "raising eyebrows throughout the industry," as the club is "furloughing employees more aggressively than most teams and weakening its amateur scouting department heading into the draft," according to Ken Rosenthal of THE ATHLETIC. Sources said that the Angels will "furlough the area scouts who spent the past year evaluating draft-eligible players in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico." Seventeen such scouts are "listed in the Angels 2020 media guide," and their furloughs were "part of a sweeping reductions in every division of the franchise's operation except the major-league coaching staff." The reduction in manpower "runs counter to the Angels' emphasis on rebuilding their farm system" under GM Billy Eppler. Meanwhile, sources said that other teams, including several in seemingly weaker financial positions than the Angels, are "making greater commitments to keeping staffers employed." The Phillies announced they "will retain all their employees through October; the Giants and Blue Jays made the same pledge through Oct. 1, and the Brewers ensured their baseball-operations staff will stay intact for the entire season." The Twins, Cardinals and White Sox are "retaining all their employees through June 30" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/22).
