The Padres have "informed members of their baseball operations department -- including coaches, scouts and front-office executives -- of forthcoming pay cuts" in response to a "measure that will enable major-league teams to furlough employees or reduce their salaries," according to Dennis Lin of THE ATHLETIC. The belief is this step "will help the organization avoid furloughing or laying off any of its contracted baseball operations employees." While the Padres are "committing to pay baseball operations employees for the remainder of the originally scheduled season," those employees yesterday were told the pay cuts "will begin in May and continue through Oct. 31 -- regardless of whether games resume." Sources said that the reductions "will apply only to employees making more than $60,000 per year." Padres baseball operations employees "will continue to receive health care and other benefits" (THEATHLETIC.com, 4/20). In San Diego, Kevin Acee notes the pay cuts will apply to employees on the "higher end of the pay scale." The "higher the salary, the larger the percentage that will be cut." This will be the "only reduction administered in the baseball operations during this period" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/21).
JOINING THE CLUB: In Boston, Peter Abraham notes the Red Sox yesterday informed full-time employees that their salaries are "guaranteed through at least May 31." They join the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, D-backs, Giants, Mariners, Marlins, Phillies, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, and White Sox in continuing to "pay at least their baseball operations employees." However, more small-market teams "could resort to cost-cutting measures as baseball, like so many other businesses, deals with a lack of revenue due to the game being shut down" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/21).
