Miami Marlins continue to pay prospects even with no minor-league season in sight
Even with the minor-league season expected to be canceled this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Miami Marlins will continue to pay their minor-league players through what would have basically been the end of the minor-league season.
Major League Baseball mandated that all teams pay their minor-league players a minimum of $400 per week through at least May 31, which is this Sunday.
The Marlins, however, are extending the weekly stipends through the end of August, which essentially covers the entire minor-league season. Miami is one of two teams at this point that has committed to paying their minor-league players for that length of time. The San Diego Padres are the other.
According to Baseball America, which first reported the Marlins’ payment plan, the Detroit Tigers are paying their minor-leaguers the $400 per week through the end of June. The Philadelphia Phillies will also continue payments, although the exactly weekly disbursements have not been determined.
ESPN first reported that the Oakland Athletics will stop minor-league payments on Monday.
Meanwhile, MLB and the MLB Players Association continue to negotiate a plan to get the 2020 season started, hopefully by the Fourth of July weekend.
MLB sent an economic proposal to the players association Tuesday that included a sliding scale of paycuts in addition to the prorated salaries players agreed to back in March.
According to ESPN, the pay scale is as follows:
▪ $563,500, the league minimum, will be paid at 90 percent after being prorated.
▪ Earnings between $563,501 to $1 million would be paid at 72.5 percent.
▪ Earnings between $1,000,001 to $5 million would be paid at 50 percent.
▪ Earnings between $5,000,001 to $10 million would be paid at 40 percent.
▪ Earnings between $10,000,001 to $20 million would be paid at 30 percent.
▪ Earnings $20,000,001 and up would be paid at 20 percent.
In this scenario, Jonathan Villar, the Marlins’ highest-paid player for the 2020 season and originally scheduled to make $8.2 million this year, would be paid a maximum of $2,077,136 if the shortened 2020 season ends up being the 82 scheduled games that is being discussed and he plays in all 82 games.
Moreover, the Marlins’ 11 players on their payroll who were expected to make at least $1 million this season under normal circumstances should they make the roster — Villar, outfielder Corey Dickerson ($8 million), shortstop Miguel Rojas ($4.75 million), pitcher Jose Urena ($3.75 million), pitcher Brandon Kintzler ($3 million), first baseman Jesus Aguilar ($2.575 million), catcher Francisco Cervelli ($2 million), pitcher Adam Conley ($1.525 million), outfielder Matt Joyce ($1.5 million), pitcher Yimi Garcia ($1.1 million) and pitcher Brad Boxberger ($1 million) — would actually only be owed $10,954,435 this season under this proposal. That’s 29.2 percent of the combined $37.4 million they were under contract for this season.
The players association is expected to reject this deal.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 11:05 AM.
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