The Padres, Marlins and Mariners are promising payments through AugustGETTY IMAGES
At least 10 MLB franchises have informed minor league players that they "will continue to provide allowances" after the May 31 expiration of Major League Baseball's policy guarantying those players $400 per week," according to Jake Seiner of the AP. The Padres, Marlins and Mariners are "promising payments through August" while the Dodgers, Mets, White Sox, Rays, Rangers and Orioles have "pledged to do so through at least June." The White Sox are "even providing those stipends to 25 minor league players recently released." The Phillies also "plan to continue allowances through June, but likely at a reduction from the $400 per week rate." The team said that the "amount is to be determined." The A's will "suspend pay for all minor leaguers at the end of the month." They currently are the "only team to announce an end to the allowances" (AP, 5/29).
CUTS EN MASSE: ESPN.com's Jeff Passan cited sources as saying that hundreds of minor league baseball players on Thursday "were cut" and hundreds more are "expected to lose their jobs as the sport grapples with the near certainty that the minor league season will be canceled." Sources cited team officials as saying that a "vast majority of the players likely would have been released toward the end of spring training even if baseball hadn't been halted by the coronavirus pandemic." Thursday's cuts "could wind up numbering more than 1,000." Sources also said that minor league team owners have "begun laying off front-office and game-day workers and citing the cancellation of the season as the reason." The MiLB season has not officially been canceled (ESPN.com, 5/28).
METS, GIANTS MAKE CUTS: In N.Y., Mike Puma reports with the "possibility of a minor league season all but evaporated, the Mets are among the teams releasing players from their organization." It is "unclear how many minor leaguers the Mets plan to release, but the cuts come as teams are looking to reduce and eliminate costs" (N.Y. POST, 5/29). In S.F., John Shea reports the Giants yesterday "released 20 minor-league players." Giants MiLBers were "promised their $400 weekly stipends through May 31" and the team said that it would "extend the minor-league stipend program through at least June 30" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/29).
