MLB commissioner to pave way for pay cuts, furloughs: report
Decision could affect club employees, managers, other front-office staff
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly on the verge clearing the way for clubs to cut the pay or even outright furlough employees, including managers, coaches, scouts and front-office staff.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on Sunday, Manfred will suspend Uniform Employee Contracts on May 1. Those contracts reportedly include language that allows those who sign them to have pay withheld in the event of a natural emergency, similar to the language contained in Uniform Player Contracts.
According to the report, Manfred will not mandate that teams take any such actions, and those impacted will not lose healthcare benefits.
The MLB regular season was scheduled to begin March 26, but spring training was halted March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Opening Day postponed to mid-April. On March 16, the start of the season was pushed back indefinitely.
Last week, reports surfaced that MLB senior staffers are taking a 35 percent pay cut and that Manfred pledged to pay all MLB full-time employees through May.
