MLB’s Nationals to terminate contracts of employees who skip COVID-19 rules: report

The Washington Nationals plan to terminate the contracts of employees who refuse to comply with their COVID-19 rules. 

Sources told Washington Post Nats beat reporter Jesse Dougherty that team Vice President Bob Boone, pitching coordinator Brad Holman and minor league pitching coach Larry Pardo are ending their tenure with the club.

The Nationals’ vaccine mandate went into effect Aug. 12, according to ESPN. It was one of the first MLB teams to require staff to be vaccinated.

“On Sept. 1, the Nationals placed unvaccinated non-playing employees on unpaid [administrative] leave for two weeks, giving them time to review exemption requests,” Dougherty reported Wednesday. “If, in that time, those employees changed their mind about getting vaccinated, they could have remained with the club.” 

On Sept. 1, the Nationals placed unvaccinated non-playing employees on unpaid admirative leave for two weeks, giving them time to review exemption requests. If, in that time, those employees changed their mind about getting vaccinated, they could have remained with the club.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) September 15, 2021

Nationals’ athletic trainer Greg Barajas is still having his exemption reviewed by the club, according to the Post’s source.

Boone, who is the father of New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone, resigned from his position earlier this month due to the Nats’ vaccination mandate. 

President Biden announced last week that all private employers with 100 or more employees will be required to mandate coronavirus vaccination and daily testing, requiring vaccines for federal workers and contractors as well.