Price steps up in LA
With Minor League Baseball in danger and hundreds of players being released or being stripped of their pay during the coronavirus pandemic, a few big league teams are stepping up.
And some big league players.
Former Red Sox pitcher David Price, who was traded to the Dodgers in February along with Mookie Betts in exchange for a trio of prospects, has donated $1,000 each to more than 200 minor leaguers in the Dodgers organization, an industry source confirmed on Friday. News was first reported by baseball writer Francys Romero.
Price asked the Dodgers not to publicize the news and the team honored his request, but one of the happy recipients is thought to have leaked it, the source said.
Times have been tough for minor leaguers, who are only paid during the five-month minor league season and aren’t required to make minimum wage, per an exemption in the law. It’s a rule that’s been under scrutiny of late, and while teams are looking at paying minor leaguers more in the future, dozens of minor league teams are expected to fold in the process.
Currently, MLB teams can release minor leaguers or choose to pay them nothing while keeping them under contract. The Athletics announced they’d stop paying minor leaguers their $400 per week stipend at the end of May.
The Dodgers, however, committed to paying their minor leaguers $400 per week through the end of June. That comes out to a yearly salary of just north of $20,000, though again, minor leaguers are only paid during the season.