Major League Baseball appears ready to take the first step in getting the 2020 season underway.
According to Jeff Passan, the league is expected to submit a proposal with the coming days to the Players Association about a potential return of baseball.
According to @JeffPassan, multiple MLB teams have been telling their players to “get ready”.
The expectation is that #MLB will be proposing a plan within the coming days to the Players Association regarding the potential return of baseball. pic.twitter.com/fJB3EH1TOF
— Cam Neisler (@cdneisler) May 6, 2020
"The expectation around baseball right now is that Major League Baseball is going to be coming to the Players Association with a plan in the coming days to a week-plus or so, and during that time we're going to get a much better sense of when baseball could actually restart in the United States," Passan said.
This news comes as some states begin to lift stay at home orders and other basic restrictions amid to COVID-19 pandemic.
Passan lists June 10 as a potential first day of spring training and July 1 as a potential opening day. Union representatives have talked about needing the second spring training to be at least three weeks long.
Now MLB going to the union with a plan and the two sides agreeing to a plan are two very different things. One of the more popular proposals that has been floated around is the Arizona plan, where players and coaches would move to an Arizona biosphere and play out the season there. There are 10 spring training facilities within driving distance of each other, and the Diamondbacks' Chase Field could also be utilized. However, that would also means players and coaches will be separated from their family for months, and some of the game's biggest stars -- like Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout -- have spoken out against it.
The league has also considered holding games at each team's spring training facility and also just keeping them in their home ballparks, but rework alignment so there would be three divisions of ten teams. The latter of those two plans seems to be the most popular, but it is reliant on COVID-19 testing being widely acceptable. The league does not want hoard tests when there is a shortage.
The two sides would also have to work out other issues, perhaps most importantly pay. Some owners have said player salaries will have to be prorated as a way to cut costs, especially since fans will not be allowed in attendance, at least for the start of the year. While teams, including the Pirates, have expressed optimism about being able to play home games with a crowd this year, they will lose out on a lot of their operating income this year without those ticket sales. Gate receipts make up roughly one-third of a team's income.
However, players could be against a deep pay cut since they might already have to make other concessions, like being separated from their families, taking temperature checks and playing in worse stadiums.
Still, both sides are very motivated to play in 2020, so the negotiations should begin as soon as MLB submits their proposal.
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