After realizing the need to ensure that all players, but especially those in the minor leagues, received their game checks in lieu of the regular season starting up, the MLB has stepped forward with a good start to a far-reaching plan that will help keep players on their feet, at least for a while.

In what looks to be the first step of a plan that will be rolled out over the next few months, the MLB has agreed that all minor league players, except for a few circumstances, will receive a lump-sum amount of money that players would be regularly earning from now until April 8. After that point, the league is still running through discussions with stakeholders and teams across the league for the next steps that should take place, but there is a sense that something will be put into place at some point soon.

This first step really helps players in the minor leagues stay afloat during these hard times, especially with their already-low salaries that they had. This initiative, which is all-encompassing and reaches across all 30 MLB teams, will be a great help in making sure players can stay afloat for at least another month, roughly, as the league continues to take a look at how best to move forward.

The aforementioned groups of players that are not eligible for this are very small, as non-40-man roster players that currently are being provided any sort of housing, food/meals, or any other financial help from their clubs, or players that were participating in or not expected to participate in Minor League Spring Training are not eligible for this financial help at this time.

The MLB is realizing that with their baseball season having been postponed, the needs of its players, most notably the ones that are striving each and every day in the minor leagues to make it to the big show, are in need of financial support during these tough times. And while the conversation of needing to pay minor leaguers more regardless of the current status of society is not going away anytime soon (and it should not go away anytime soon), this step can be looked at as a great first step in the long-term virus relief plan, while also laying the groundwork (hopefully) for the league to make up for the financial shortcomings of their minor-league staff.

A plan for any time after April 9th that is going to be postponed is still currently being discussed amongst the league and its teams, but some sort of idea should be put into effect at some time before that date is reached, helping players all across the minor leagues relax just a bit during these tough times.

The $30 million help that each MLB franchise is contributing to, $1M per team, to help give their gameday employees a regular paycheck during this time of uncertainty followed suit of other professional sports, and the $1M MLB – MLBPA contribution to both Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America (split evenly) to help provide food to children and the elderly are just some ways that baseball is helping keep people together and people’s spirits high during these difficult times.