ANAHEIM— MLB first baseman Albert Pujols agreed to pay the salaries of the Angels’ furloughed staff members affected in the Dominican Republic.

With the corona virus affecting the entire globe, baseball is one of many sports that has been postponed. MLB players will not be able to resume their seasons until players and MLB agree on a deal to allow for both safe and well financed conditions for all. Due to no season being played, many teams offered to pay employees up until a certain point and then furloughing. One team which did this are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who stopped paying their employees in the Dominican Republic this month.

Pujols, who has played for the Angels’ since 2012, decided he would take over and cover the salaries of the Angels’ furloughed staff members in the Dominican Republic for the next five months. By doing this, Pujols has agreed to pay a total estimate amount of $180,000.

Earlier this month, the Angels furloughed all area scouts in amateur and international departments, members of their player development staff and minor league coaches and coordinators. Nearly all staff based at the team’s academy in Boca Chica, DR were temporarily removed from the payroll.

Pujols, 40, earned approximately $285 million in salary by the end of 2019, according to Baseball Reference. He signed a 10-year, $240-million contract with the Angels in December 2011 and was scheduled to earn $29 million in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic postponed the baseball schedule. Before playing for the Angels, Pujols played for and made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 through 2011. Pujols is a native of the Dominican Republic.