In response to news that the Washington Nationals will cut the weekly stipend for minor leaguers from $400 to $300 a week, pitcher Sean Doolittle announced that the team’s major league players who are unaffected by the cuts will pool money together to reimburse their lost wages.
“After hearing that Nationals minor leaguers are facing additional pay cuts, the current members of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball club will be coming together and committing funds to make whole the lost wages from their weekly stipends,” Doolittle wrote on Twitter late Sunday. “All of us were minor leaguers at one point in our careers and we know how important the weekly stipends are for them and their families during these uncertain times.”
It’s unclear how many Nationals big leaguers are joining in the cause. Catcher Yan Gomes retweeted Doolittle with the message, “Stand together!”
Gomes and pitcher Patrick Corbin also retweeted baseball reporter Keith Law pointing out that Mark Lerner, the team’s majority principal owner, is worth $5.3 billion, a critical swipe at the team’s apparent unwillingness to pay its lowest-paid players.
The league agreed in late March that all clubs would pay their minor leaguers $400 a week through May 31. Beyond that, it’s been left up to individual clubs how to proceed.
“I wish the owners really weighed how much that $100 they cut us back is saving them versus how much it helps put food on the table for us and our families,” one Washington minor leaguer told The Athletic.
The Oakland Athletics reportedly plan to stop paying their minor leaguers any money at all starting Monday. The Nationals were also one of several teams known to have released minor leaguers; The Athletic reported that they released 30.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only delayed the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, but also harmed the likelihood of holding any form of a minor-league season. ESPN reported that “hundreds” of minor leaguers were released last week.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price plans to personally pay all 221 of the organization’s minor leaguers $1,000, it was reported last weekend, though the Dodgers have continued to pay them their $400-a-week stipend.
“Minor leaguers are an essential part of of our organization and they are bearing the heaviest burden of this situation as their season is likely to be canceled,” Doolittle wrote. “We recognize that and want to stand with them and show our support.”
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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