ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays are the first Major League Baseball team known to plan furloughs of some full-time employees because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to multiple reports.
Temporary cost-cutting measures will take effect on Saturday, The Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday.
The Rays have declined to comment.
Staff was informed of the plan by principal owners Stuart Sternberg and team presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld earlier this week.
The Times reported the furloughs are believed to involve less than half the club's 400-to-500 full-time employees.
Meanwhile, some members of the baseball operations department are to receive pay cuts starting at 10%.
Most of the 30 clubs have committed to paying either all full-time baseball operations staff or all full-time employees through May.
The MLB season was scheduled to begin March 26, but spring training was shut down March 12 because of the pandemic. Opening Day has been pushed back until at least mid-May.
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