Cubs to Implement Pay Cuts for Employees as MLB Waits on Plan for 2020 Season
By Nick Porr
The 2020 MLB season is still on hiatus, and the money crunch resulting from the absence of play is continuing to impact players and staff. Although fans are mostly focused on how the unavailability of sports impacts them, the lack of revenue from the season's delay has sent shockwaves throughout all of Major League Baseball.
The Chicago Cubs, one of the MLB's most recognizable franchises, are not immune to the economic struggle. Late Wednesday afternoon, news broke that there will be further pay cuts for their employees.
Cubs employees are being notified that there will be pay cuts but no furloughs at this time, as @JeffPassan reported. There is a range in which the highest earners will take higher % reductions, per a source. Cubs execs have been hopeful that a shortened season can begin in July.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) May 20, 2020
The Cubs have announced these cuts will be in place through June, with hopes that the season can resume in July. These cuts are being put in place in order to hold over employees until July, when revenue can stabilize the team.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan reported that the cuts will mostly be less than 15% of employees' salaries, and that the Cubs were trying to avoid having to furlough any employees.
Chicago Cubs employees will be taking pay cuts and have been guaranteed employment through at least the end of June, sources familiar with an employee call today told ESPN. A majority of the cuts will be for 15% or less. The hope is that baseball is back in June and no furloughs.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 20, 2020
A furlough would involve employees being put on leave and receiving no pay, something that would severely impair all employees, especially lower income workers. The Los Angeles Angels and other franchises recently announced that employees will be furloughed through June.
The Los Angeles Angels will implement furloughs across their organization starting June 1.
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) May 20, 2020
by @gregbeachamhttps://t.co/tTPxkPqytT
As the league continues to soldier on without play, employees will likely only experience further pay cuts from their prospective teams. Both employees and fans are heavily counting on a return for the MLB, but without a vaccine, that could result in players and employees being put in danger.
With money drying up, we need baseball now more than ever.