Nats’ Major Leaguers Pressure Ownership Into Reversing MiLB Pay Cuts

Within 24 hours of a decision to make pay cuts to the organization’s minor league players, the Washington Nationals have committed to restoring full stipends to their minor leaguers.

The Nationals’ plans to cut pay to $300 per week became public Sunday afternoon in a report by Britt Ghiroli and Emily Waldon of The Athletic.

In March, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that all minor leaguers would receive $400 per week through the end of May as mandated by Major League Baseball, but clubs would have to make their own decisions for June and beyond.

Shortly after the Nationals’ plans surfaced, reliever Sean Doolittle took to Twitter to announce the major league players’ commitment to fill the $100 void.

Catcher Yan Gomes immediately backed his lefty.

Starting pitcher Patrick Corbin retweeted both tweets, and several others on the subject, including this one from Major League Baseball reporter Keith Law.

Doolittle later explained that Nationals players met on Zoom to discuss the news, and how to address it.

Radio host Grant Paulsen tweeted Monday that the Lerner family has decided to nix the pay cuts.

It is disheartening that people worth ten figures were prepared to dock $400-per-week salaries by 25%, but it could be worse. The Oakland Athletics announced last week that their minor league players would receive no more pay in 2020. And because minor league players are still under contract, they cannot file for unemployment.

The Nats join several other teams in announcing restoration of stipends for June. Yet only the Reds, Astros, Royals and Twins have committed to paying minor leaguers through the end of August.

Washington players have already changed one owner’s mind with their act of solidarity, how many more will they change?

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