The right-hander was expected to be a member of the big league rotation this year but pitched so poorly in spring training that he was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he is 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA in six outings.
Watkins then played in the band his father conducted - the Spring Gardens Brass Band in Reading - of which his grandfather was also conductor and a founder member.
The huge inflows will shore up the finances of the 12-member group, particularly as some Middle East countries lift social spending on the wake of the Arab Spring.