Report(s): WBC covers salary of injured players

Via Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal: The World Baseball Classic is responsible for salary paid to players injured during the tournament while they are on the DL. The player must miss at least 30 days for coverage to kick in, and the WBC is also responsible if the player gets re-injured after returning.

For the Yankees, this applies to Mark Teixeira. He earns approximately $3.75M per month and is expected to be out until late-May/early-June, so that’s $7.5M the Yankees won’t have to pay their first baseman. Given the propensity for wrist injuries to linger, he could be out even longer and save the team even more. I assume this won’t impact the luxury tax in any way, kinda like regular insurance. It’s a reimbursement, not a salary reduction. The WBC savings probably contributed to the team’s decision to acquire Vernon Wells — I think part of that money was their rainy day/trade deadline fund — but that still doesn’t make it a good idea.