Royals’ minor-league players will get paid while baseball is on hold, MLB determines
Major League Baseball announced a plan to compensate minor-league players for what would have been the first two months of their season despite baseball being put in a holding pattern due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
MLB previously announced that minor-league players, who are not part of the MLB Players’ Association, would receive their typical spring training stipends through April 8. It had been unclear if those players would be paid after the minor-league season had been scheduled to begin on April 9.
“Major League Baseball announced today that it has extended the league-wide initiative of financial support for Minor League players through May 31st or until the beginning of the minor league season — whichever occurs first,” MLB said in a news release circulated Tuesday. “MLB is taking this additional step to continue assistance for Minor League players and their families during the unexpected postponement to the start of the season.
“All players will continue to receive medical benefits and may continue to use any balance they have in the College Scholarship Plan or Continuing Education Program. This follows MLB’s March 19th announcement that provided interim support to Minor League players through April 8th, which covered the period until the originally scheduled start of the minor league season.”
Exceptions to that plan include players who signed major-league contracts, players who are already receiving housing, food or other services from clubs, and players on baseball’s restricted, voluntary retired, disqualified or ineligible lists. Each organization will make its own arrangements to provide support to players on Dominican Summer League rosters.
MLB has suspended all minor-league player contracts.
ESPN reported that the payments will be $400 per week, a continuation of the spring training stipends.
Pay for minor-league players has increasingly been a hot-button topic in baseball. Efforts have been made in recent years to force MLB to increase the pay of minor-leaguers, including a class action lawsuit claiming players in the minors are paid below the poverty line.
Increasing pay for minor-league players was also one of the ideas behind a controversial proposal to contract the number of minor-league franchises, which came to light during the offseason.
MLB and the MLBPA reached an agreement last week, according to multiple published reports, that will prorate player salaries and performance bonuses for 2020. As part of that reported deal, MLB will advance players $170 million over the next two months, and the MLBPA will divide that sum among its players.
If the season isn’t played, players agreed they will not sue for their full salaries. If games are played, the $170 million payment will be factored into the paychecks they receive for the season.
Royals, Gordon donate meals
Kansas City Royals announced a donation on behalf of their ownership group, players and Royals Charities to Harvesters —The Community Food Network that will fund more than 500,000 meals in the greater KC area during the pandemic.
The donation is intended to help Harvesters provide meals to at-risk individuals and families as well as local food pantries.
“Our investors, our partners and our players share a deep connection to the Kansas City community, which is why the entire Royals family is coming together to do our part,” Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a news release. “We all wish we were playing baseball and look forward to getting back to the game we love. But the most important thing now is a priority on our community, focusing on its most pressing needs.”
Seven-time Gold Glove left fielder and longest-tenured Royals player Alex Gordon and his family have contributed to the donation.
“Jamie and I and our kids are staying at home and trying to take this time to help each other as a family,” Gordon said in the release. “But we also want to help our Kansas City area family. We feel very blessed, and we want to make sure our neighbors are taken care of.”
Earlier this month the club announced it was also working with Price Chopper and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City to fight hunger as a result of school closures and shelter-at-home orders.
