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Nationals players to help pay recently cut minor-league salaries

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Washington Nationals made the decision Sunday to begin cutting minor-league weekly stipends from $400 to $300.

Nationals closer Sean Doolittle and the rest of the team are joining forces to pay the shortages caused by those cuts.

"After hearing that Nationals minor-league players are facing additional pay cuts, the current members of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball club will be coming together and committing funds to make whole the lost wages from their weekly stipends," Doolittle wrote on Twitter.

He added: "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.

"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 canceled. We recognize that and want to stand with them and show our support."

The left-handed reliever also added that the entire team had a Zoom call after the news came out and the players agreed unanimously to help.

One minor-league player discussed the 25% pay cut earlier on Sunday.

"I wish the owners really weighed how much that $100 they cut us back is saving them versus how much it helps puts food on the table for us and our families," the unnamed player told Britt Ghiroli and Emily Waldon of The Athletic.

Earlier this week, in anticipation of the minor-league season being canceled and with the May 31 payment guarantee by the league approaching, teams began releasing minor leaguers en masse, resulting in hundreds of cuts.

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