Fresh off a World Series title, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a sound organization rich in talent, rich in depth and rich in hope for a repeat in 2021.
All those riches weren’t enough, apparently, to save 40 to 50 jobs as the effects of COVID-19 continue to dash just about anything good in 2020. The Dodgers announced layoffs throughout the organization on Wednesday, having already declined to renew the contracts of several scouts two months ago. The additional job cuts were believed to be from just about every department.
“While the Dodgers had a championship season, the organization has not been immune from the widespread economic devastation caused by the coronavirus,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “Since March, we have worked hard to minimize the impact on our employees. The ongoing economic crisis, however, forces us to make difficult personnel decisions throughout the organization, going forward for the 2021 season. This is a heartbreaking decision.”
And the Dodgers are among the more fortunate in terms of overall financial health. Their Forbes value is approximately $3.4 billion; their attendance led MLB every year since 2013; their payroll was No. 2 in 2020; and they are working under a record 25-year, $8.35 billion television deal signed in January 2013.
But this is 2020, and Dodgers President Stan Kasten said losses were expected to be north of $100 million this year. In an interview with CNBC during the World Series, Kasten said “It’s going to take years to catch up.”
Baseball’s usual 162-game season became 60—and all regular-season games had an official attendance count of zero, though a limited number of paying fans attended the National League Championship Series, and World Series at Arlington, Texas. This season MLB said it lost more than $3 billion.
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