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Report: Mets Will Cut Pay of Full-Time Employees Due to COVID-19 Starting June 1

The New York Mets logo is displayed Citi Field before Friday's Game 3 of the Major League Baseball World Series between the Mets and the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

Peter Morgan/Associated Press

The New York Mets will reportedly cut the pay of all full-time employees beginning June 1 with the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported the news, noting the cuts will be in place for the entire 2020 season even if there are games.

Those making $500,000 or more will see their pay cut by 30 percent, while those making between $250,000-$500,000 will see a 25 percent pay cut. Those percentages drop to 20 for those making between $100,000-$250,000, 10 for those making between $45,000-$100,000 and 5 percent for those making less than $45,000.

The Mets aren’t the only team planning on cutting pay for employees, as Puma reported the San Diego Padres will as well. What’s more, industry sources said there is an expectation that other teams will do the same thing.

While there have been a number of plans discussed, such as playing a shortened season in limited locations such as Florida and Arizona and pushing back the playoffs to later in the year, teams are facing a situation of uncertainty with lost ticket revenue and television revenue.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan called the May 31 end date for the employee payment plans in place “no accident,” suggesting “the long-term retention of employees across the sport may depend on having a known, or at least expected, revenue generator. The end of May isn’t a drop-dead point to have a plan in place, sources said, as much as it’s a reasonable and logical one.”

Passan did relay a sense of optimism, though, saying most people involved in the decision-making process inside baseball are “increasingly optimistic” there will be games this year.

As for the Mets, Tim Healy of Newsday reported some of the employees found out about the impending pay cuts through media reports. 

According to Forbes’ annual ranking of MLB‘s most valuable teams released on April 9, the Mets are the sixth-most valuable franchise in the league and worth approximately $2.4 billion.