CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs on Thursday laid off about 60 members of their business department because of declining revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a source told the Chicago Tribune.

In addition, the team is bracing for limited seating capacity for games at Wrigley Field in 2021 in the event fans are allowed to attend games without a vaccine for the coronavirus, the source said. Should fans be allowed to return in limited capacity, the Cubs would prioritize season ticket holders for admission.

The Cubs likely are to follow the model of other teams that have allowed fans to attend games should they get permission. Wrigley’s seating capacity is 41,649, but a significant reduction would continue to affect revenue.

In May, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts told a group of season ticket holders in an online chat that about 70% of the team’s revenue stems from game-day operations, including ticket sales.

The decline in revenue because of COVID-19 cut into the team’s baseball operations department last month — more than two dozen scouts and player development staffers were informed their contracts would not be renewed this fall.

———

©2020 Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.