Texas Rangers furlough 60 employees as Globe Life Field sits empty amid coronavirus
The Texas Rangers have furloughed 12% of their full-time workforce indefinitely, citing financial burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has left the new Globe Life Field sitting empty.
The Rangers have around 500 full-time employees, and the group hit by furloughs work in both baseball operations and on the business side. The club did not say which employees were furloughed, but some are likely affected by the cancellation of the minor-league season.
Furloughed employees will receive two more weeks of pay. Their benefits will be paid through October.
“In March, as we were confronted with the coronavirus pandemic, my goal was to avoid furloughs,” owner Ray Davis said. “Unfortunately, after four months of cost saving measures, budget cuts and salary decreases, the severe financial consequences of the shutdown and lingering uncertainty about when we will play in front of fans, have left us out of options.”
The Rangers’ executive staff took pay cuts early into baseball’s shutdown, and half of full-time employees saw their salaries cut 10% to 20% in May. The team has continued to pay minor-leaguers a $400 stipend per week and has committed to extending those payments through July.
Many MLB teams have committed to pay minor-leaguers the rest of the season. A handful of others have said they won’t be furloughing any employees, while others have already started furloughs.
“The furloughs, which touch a number of baseball and business departments, reflect the realities of playing in an empty Globe Life Field, the shutdown of minor-league baseball and other considerations related to the business challenges we face,” Davis said. “I wish there was another way, but this decision is necessary for us to endure this crisis and emerge as strong as possible on the other side.”
Davis said he hopes to bring the employees back to the payroll.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
