Nationals Players Pledge to Compensate for Minor Leaguers Facing Pay Cuts

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle announced he and his teammates will commit funds to "make whole" the minor leaguers whose stipends were cut by the team.

After the Washington Nationals cut more than two dozen minor league players—while cutting down weekly stipends from $400 to $300—Nationals closer Sean Doolittle announced that he and the current Major League members of the team will commit funds to make up for the difference.

“All of us were minor leaguers at one point in our careers and we know how important the weekly stipends are for them and their families during these uncertain times,” Doolittle said on Twitter. “Minor leaguers are an essential part of our organization and they are bearing the heaviest burden of this situation as their season is likely to be cancelled. We recognize that and want to stand with them and show our support.”

On Thursday, Dodgers pitcher David Price committed to paying each minor league player in the Dodgers' system $1,000 for the month of June.

Many teams made cuts to minor league players during the week, but the Nationals were the only club to lower the stipend amount from $400 to $300, according to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic.

“I really feel for the guys that were let go. Most of us live paycheck to paycheck at best, and in this situation, I’m not sure there is much they can do,” one Nationals minor leaguer said to Ghiroli. “For us lucky ones still getting help, it’s bittersweet. I wish the owners really weighed how much that $100 they cut us back is saving them versus how much it helps put food on the table for us and our families.”

Nationals owner Ted Lerner is the wealthiest person in Maryland, with a net worth of $5.3 billion, according to SI's Ben Reiter. The Nationals will not be laying off any full-time employees due to the economic crisis created by the coronavirus, according to Todd Dybas of NBC Sports.