Houston Astros star Justin Verlander and his wife, Kate Upton, recently revealed that they will be making recurring donations to organizations fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. The money that will be used is actually his paychecks from Major League Baseball. The players will continue to receive paychecks for the next couple of months despite the postponed season.
Verlander provided this information during a video posted on Instagram. He and Upton discussed the ongoing situation and confirmed that they would be helping in any way that they can. The Houston Astros star has not received the first paycheck just yet, but he will release the name of the first organization upon its arrival. Specifically, he and Upton are looking to aid those in need of basic necessities, medical supplies and support at home.
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“Obviously, this is an extremely difficult time for the entire world,” Verlander said in his video. “There’s so many people that are in need, whether it’s those in the front lines battling this disease head-on or someone who’s at home and has lost their job and needs to provide basic necessities, such as food and water. We have decided to donate that paycheck.”
Verlander also called for those that are able to stay home and help “flatten the curve” during the ongoing pandemic. He and Upton know that everyone is impacted by this situation, but he believes that people around the world can make a positive difference. Staying home is the top priority, but Verlander also asked for his fans and followers to look around for those that are in need of help.
While Verlander said that multiple organizations would be named in the coming weeks, Upton provided more information. She said that there would be a donation made every single week. The couple will also be highlighting each organization in an effort to show the work being done in various impacted communities.
According to ESPN, these ongoing payments to the players were part of an agreement between MLB and the union. Verlander and many other major league players will be getting $4,775 a day for 60 days, which equals $286,500. Verlander is currently earning an average salary of $33 million as part of his two-year, $66 million extension. This equals $177,419 a day for the length of the 186-day season.
(Photo Credit: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
