Photo by Ed Delany, MMN
The Mets have committed to paying their minor leaguers a $400 stipend through the end of June, according to multiple reports.
All teams have been paying the stipend in lieu of player salaries since professional baseball shut down in March, though the original agreement only covered players through the end of May.
The news comes on the heels of the announcement that the Mets (as well as other organizations) will be releasing 35-40 minor leaguers in the coming days.
Right-handed pitcher Rob Whalen, a former major leaguer who returned to the organization this offseason, said he is one of the players being released.
Thank you @Mets for the opportunity to come back to such a great organization this year.
It sucks this tenure was so short lived but I enjoyed every minute! 🤙🏼#FreeAgent
— Rob Whalen (@RobWhalen38) May 28, 2020
As aggregated by Baseball America, the White Sox, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rays, Orioles, Braves, and Rangers are among the teams that have joined the Mets in committing to paying the stipend in June. The Marlins, Padres, and Mariners will pay their minor leaguers through the end of August (which all but carries them through the end of the regularly scheduled season).
Perhaps controversially, it was reported by ESPN that the Oakland Athletics will not be continuing the stipend past May. However, the players are still under contract with the organization and may not seek employment elsewhere or collect unemployment insurance benefits.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
