As Major League Baseball and the Players Association remain at odds over financial details for a potential 2020 regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers joined a growing list of teams to take action in response to challenges created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The Coronavirus has caused grave health issues as well as widespread financial hardships for many people and also for businesses. The virus also has created uncertainty regarding the 2020 MLB season,” their statement read.
“The entire Dodgers’ organization, including the great many people who work to bring you games and the experience of being in the park, face unprecedented challenges, as do so many others. Over the last several weeks, we have considered every way to better withstand the challenges presented by the virus.
“Today – while we remain very hopeful that there will be a 2020 season – we are implementing a number of measures to reduce our costs. We remain ready to play as soon as that becomes feasible. These measures include salary reductions for all [exempt] employees above a certain salary threshold, with higher paid employees taking a larger share of the reductions.
“This plan allows us to avoid organization-wide furloughs and to preserve hundreds of jobs. This is an unprecedented time. At the Dodgers, each and every member of our organization plays an important role in our successes. We hope the entire Dodgers family including all of our fans stay safe and well. We remain hopeful that soon we will be playing ball.”
Multiple reports indicated the maximum salary reduction top executives are facing is 35%. According to the Associated Press, the Dodgers would see a $232 million loss by paying players prorated salaries this season for games that do not have fans in attendance. That projection trails only the New York Yankees ($312 million).
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said owners would lose upwards of $4 billion if the entire 2020 season was cancelled. Manfred and senior MLB staff accepted an 35% average salary reduction in April.
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