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Oakland Athletics minor leaguers have been informed the club will stop paying their weekly $400 stipend at the end of May.
A's general manager David Forst informed players of the decision in an email on Tuesday, adding that they'll continue to get access to health benefits.
Here is the email David Forst sent to players today: https://t.co/rwHqiAeKla pic.twitter.com/rEZK2RC1eZ
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) May 27, 2020
Commissioner Rob Manfred gave teams the authority to suspend Uniform Employee Contracts in March after MLB went on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Minor-league Uniform Player Contracts were also included in that suspension, although the A's committed to honoring the stipends through May 31.
The MLB Players Association, which is currently locked in a heated battle with owners over player salaries for a shortened 2020 campaign, doesn't represent minor leaguers who aren't on 40-man rosters.
Oakland may not be alone in ceasing to pay minor leaguers. Other organizations are expected to make decisions over the next few days, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The A's are also planning to furlough nearly all of their amateur and professional scouts, plus approximately three-quarters of the team's player-development staff, sources told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. Those furloughs, which owner John Fisher confirmed in an email, will take effect in June. Fisher is worth an estimated $2 billion, according to Passan.
The A's will be following the footsteps of the Los Angeles Angels, who reportedly will furlough many scouts before the MLB Amateur Draft on June 10.
Earlier this month, the A's confirmed they didn't pay their lease on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the 2020 season.
