The Phillies in a Wednesday afternoon email notified all team and Phillies Florida employees that "more than 80 front-office positions, on the business side and baseball side, had been eliminated via a buyout package and layoffs," according to Meghan Montemurro of THE ATHLETIC. The “vast majority” of departures were buyouts. Departing employees "will be leaving the organization by the end of the year," and "had already been notified." Before the cuts, the Phillies had "approximately 450 full-time employees, excluding on-field and support staff at the Dominican Republic academy, which doesn’t appear to have lost positions in the downsizing" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/27). In Philadelphia, Gary Miles noted Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton in June "announced salary cuts for anyone on the business or baseball side who was due to make at least $90,000 this year." Middleton said that he "would forgo his salary for the remainder of the year, and avoid staff layoffs until the end of October" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/28). Also In Philadelphia, Marcus Hayes noted the team eliminated "almost 20% of the workforce -- to save about $8 million." Hayes: "This was just the latest, but most tangibly tone deaf maneuver by a franchise that has consistently stubbed its toe in public since Middleton ... assumed control of the club in 2016" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/29).
