Texas Rangers Become Literal Only MLB Team Specifically Not to Commit to Paying Employees Through May
By Scott Rogust
A majority of Major League Baseball teams have publicly agreed to pay their employees through the month of May as the world continues to power through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, one organization out there has specifically not pledged to do so.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Texas Rangers are not committed as of this time to paying their employees through the end of May. Instead, workers will receive a paycheck up until May 15.
The Texas Rangers are the first known team not to commit to paying baseball-operations employees through the end of May, sources tell ESPN. They are committed through May 15 — and that’s after top executives took a significant pay reduction.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2020
Interestingly, the team source told Passan that staffers will not be subject to layoffs or furloughs. Instead, the Rangers will make additional salary adjustments no earlier than the May 15 deadline.
What happens after that? Nobody knows.
The decision has been subject to much scrutiny, especially when looking their colleague's commitment to support their employees through this time of uncertainty. Perhaps the grandest gesture that's been made? Miami Marlins CEO and co-owner Derek Jeter foregoing his $5 million salary indefinitely, while other top executives in the organization have taken noticeable pay cuts.
Follow-up on the Rangers: A source says the team will have no layoffs or furloughs of employees through the end of May. The letter sent to employees said: “If business conditions require us to make salary adjustments more broadly, that step would be taken no earlier than May 15.”
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2020
It's no secret that COVID-19's negative financial impact has been profound and far-reaching, with organized sports leagues forced to make tough decisions few could have foreseen. If games are played, teams will see money from television deals flowing again, but they won't receive the ever-coveted ballpark gate receipts, as fans are unlikely to be permitted to attend any time soon. That's a large chunk of cash that all 30 baseball teams won't see, to say nothing of the seasonal and hourly workers who rely on gameday-related revenue, from parking to concessions and beyond.
There's a possibility that the Rangers will have a change of heart down the line and commit to aiding all of their workers. Until then, the team better brace themselves for bad publicity.