As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cast a shadow over the game, Major League Baseball has made a commitment to its employees regarding their near-future earnings. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a memo today assuring league personnel of their salary through at least the end of May, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links).
As ever, this sort of news is both reassuring and worrisome. While it’s nice to see the league providing staffers with a clear commitment in an uncertain time, it’s also yet another acknowledgement of the ongoing uncertainty regarding the staging of professional sports contests.
MLB and its teams have obviously experienced a drastic reduction in revenue owing to the suspension of the 2020 season. Even if it’s re-launched, it’ll be far less lucrative than anticipated. And it is fair to wonder about expected earnings in coming campaigns as well.
In recognition of the economic realities, Manfred indicates that the league’s top executives have accepted pay cuts of approximately 35%. Presumably, the intention is for those reductions to be temporary.
The league’s belt-tightening effort will help enable it to carry on with the expected team distributions over the first two months of the season, Passan notes. Manfred explains that those funds will be utilized in part to pay out the previously negotiated player advances ($5.67MM per team). That’s all that players are entitled to in 2020 if the season ends up being cancelled.
I’m happy for them. The rest of the country who work in bars/restaurants/retail/construction etc… are beginning to run out of money. 1200 bucks pays half my rent for my 1 bedroom apartment. On the bright side, nobody can catch Coronavirus if they starve to death.
You forget all the hourly people that work for these teams. Beer guy, hot dog guy, ushers etc etc. Always good to see people like you be glad for others during a time of crisis.
Do concessions employees work for the team? I figured most concessions were provided by contractors.
I heard a team mentioned before (Rays?) in a wire service story that employs some of the stadium workers directly. I believe it was usher’s and customer service employees mentioned but yes, a lot of the others work for contractors.
2400 a month for a 1 bedroom apt?! I would suggest moving. My small 2 bedroom house payment on a 15 year mortgage is 1055 a month with home insurance wrapped up into the monthly payment, but it’s a very modest 100 year old house. 2400 is about a 200,000 monthly mortgage payment in these parts. That would get you a decent home around here. I’m guessing you are living on the west or east coast.
Big discrepancy in house costs across the nation for sure.
Campbell, CA. Right in silicone valley. I’d love to move because it’s the cost of living is outrageous here, but unfortunately this is home. I already left for like 5 years but eventually you miss your family and friends.
And these gluttons are concerned about losing revenue.
manfred should take a 100% pay cut and LEAVE! Not cuz of this situation though just cuz he SUCKS in general.
Agreed, Manfred is the worst commissioner MLB has had.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for a report on sign stealing in 2018. At this point they have all the information. A two-hour conference to decide the outcome, and assign it to a staffer to write the report, and this could be done in a couple of days. I don’t understand the holdup at this point.
So if the season is cancelled do the MLB players under contract get paid their money?
It’s pretty clearly stated that each team will get $5.67MM from the reserve for player’s salaries. Somewhere earlier, it was written that if there is no season the reserve will give each player about 3-4% of there contracted salary. If the season resumes the player salary will be prorated for the remainder of the season. Kind of odd that execs are taking a 35% cut and the players are taking over 95%–BUT that was negotiated in exchange for credit for service time.
And it really doesn’t definitvely say if the 5.67 if for each team or if the money is divided based on team salary.
they were mentioned here multiple times. yes, they get paid in full even if no games played. if there is a season, players who participate in 100% of games will be paid in full. if a player participate 50% of the said games they get 50% of his salary.
No Mr. V that’s service time. Salary, as explained above, is different.
Viz…..if there is no baseball they do not get paid in full. They get paid about 4% of their contract. Thus, a player with a $5MM contract will receive $200,000. If the season is started and the schedule is 81 games, the players will get 50% of their contract (prorated to games on the schedule) + about 4% of the contact for the 81 games missed. BUT…all players will get equal service time to games played in 2019 whether or not any played.
Seems kind of generous to me…..