Tigers to pay Minor League players indefinitely

DETROIT -- The Tigers have committed to continue paying their Minor League players the $400 weekly stipends they’ve been receiving since Spring Training was suspended for the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, with no known end date, a source told mlb.com.

The Tigers also committed to maintaining their current Minor League rosters with no releases at this point. The team has not released any players since camps were suspended.

The decision, first reported by the Detroit News, continues a trend for the Tigers in taking care of their Minor League players and full-time employees. Their farm system is critical in general manager Al Avila’s effort to build a contending team.

The Tigers are the third AL Central team in recent days to commit to continue paying Minor League players with no releases, joining the Twins and Royals. Team chairman Christopher Ilitch announced in March that players would continue receiving their $400 weekly stipends, a move that has been extended multiple times since then. The club also committed $1 million each to paying part-time staff for games lost in Spring Training as well as regular-season games early in the season.

Under normal circumstances, the club would’ve released some Minor Leaguers at the end of Spring Training to free up roster spots for players advancing up the organizational ladder. Similar moves also take place around the MLB Draft to make room for an influx of prospects. Neither has happened yet. The Tigers have six picks, including the first overall selection, coming up in next week’s MLB Draft, and can sign undrafted prospects for a $20,000 bonus.