As Major League Baseball remains at a standstill amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Miami Marlins plan on furloughing 40% of their baseball operations staff, according to a report.
According to The Athletic, the team will furlough roughly 90-100 employees in baseball operations, beginning June 1. The Marlins will continue paying employees through May and are expected to cover health benefits through October, the report added. Any further decisions will be made on a monthly basis.
With baseball being shut down for the past two months, franchises are taking a significant financial hit with no games being played. On March 12, MLB cancelled spring training and postponed the start of the regular season, which was set to begin on March 26.
In April, the Marlins furloughed approximately one third of their business operations department, according to the Miami Herald. CEO Derek Jeter is reportedly forgoing his $5 million salary this season.
The Marlins, who have suffered from consistently low attendance and have one of the worst local TV deals in baseball, were valued at $1 billion _ last in the league _ according to a 2019 Forbes report. The Marlins also finished with the lowest amount of local revenue _ $72 million _ the study said.
Miami is currently negotiating with Fox Sports Florida on a new TV contract. The Marlins current deal, which expires following the 2020 season, pays the team just $15 million to $20 million per year. For comparison, the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies make a reported $100 million annually.
