Buster Olney reports, “Players injured during the World Baseball Classic will have their salaries paid by the WBC organization while they are unable to play for their major league teams, according to an MLB source. That would mean that players such as Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez will be paid by the WBC during their respective absences.”
Teixeira is slotted to make $22.5 Million this season and projected to miss appoximately 8-10 weeks of action with a wrist injury. Hanley Ramirez will earn $15.5 Million this season and will be out approximately 8 weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb. It is stated that the player must miss 30 days for the coverage to kick in and the World Baseball Classic is also responsible if the player gets re-injured after returning. Do the math, this adds up to be quite a hefty chunk of change for the WBC. Teixeria earns around $3.75 Million per month, which adds up to be around $7.5 Million of responsibility for the WBC. With the complexity of wrist injuries, this number could climb even higher. It should be noted that this new provision was activated this year and WBC Insurance covers the cost.
I feel that this was a major selling point to all MLB teams who gained a ton of exposure to their star players potenially being injured. This minimized the risk for all clubs, allowing them to send their best to this MLB event. The MLB views this tournament as an international event, building the popularity for the sport and its players. In doing so, they felt the need to protect teams assets in order to allow the best to be sent to the games. I feel that it’s the right move to pay for the injuries. MLB teams are giving a lot in terms of risk and the minimization of chemistry amongst teammates when certain players are gone. If you are a Yankees or Dodgers fan, I’m sure you feel the same way.