Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association finalized an agreement with health and safety protocols Tuesday night, announcing a 60 game season expected to start in July.
What We Know:
- Major League Baseball is set to make its return. The MLB Players Association (MLBPA) informed the league on Tuesday that players will comply with commissioner Rob Manfred’s imposed outline for a 2020 season. The two sides also finalized coronavirus health and safety protocols on Tuesday night.
- Players are set to report for another version of “spring” training on July 1, and the league’s imposed 60-game season will start either July 23 or 24, the league announced. The announcement comes after months of negotiations between the league and the players which stalled when it came to length of the season and financial compensation. The government has added professional athletes under the “essential workers” umbrella so they hope the season start dates will be workable for all, including foreign-born players traveling from afar.
Information about Major League Baseball’s return to play: https://t.co/TTOvy8C826. pic.twitter.com/kwSlUZUMDl
— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2020
- On Monday night, the MLB owners voted unanimously to have Manfred mandate a season. Manfred gained the right to impose a schedule due to a deal the two sides struck in March, but he resisted using that right until now due to concerns from the owners’ side about a potential union grievance. The grievance would claim the owners did not negotiate in good faith and with the intent to play as many games as possible which could result in a substantial cash windfall. The MLBPA has agreed to comply with Manfred’s proposal.
- The MLB season was originally indefinitely suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the league’s statement announcing the return of MLB said, “The health and safety of players and employees will remain MLB’s foremost priorities in its return to play. MLB is working with a variety of public health experts, infectious disease specialists, and technology providers on a comprehensive approach that aims to facilitate a safe return”.
- Players have the option to opt-out. If they are high-risk, they’ll get paid with service time but if they opt out because they don’t deem this mini-season worth the effort, they would then give up their salaries.
- There are other major changes occurring within the shortened 2020 MLB season:
- The exact schedule of games has yet to be made, but teams will play other teams in their geographic regions to limit travel amid COVID-19. Playing 40 games against divisional foes and 20 interleague games.
- The teams will have to submit 60-player rosters for big-league spring training to the league office by Sunday at 3 pm, but once the season begins they will be allowed to carry 30 players on their active roster. That number will drop to 28 after two weeks, then 26 after four weeks.
- Two rule changes have also been announced. There will be a universal designated hitter for the pitcher and a baserunner placed on second at the start of every half-inning in extra innings. You can read more about the rule changes here.
- Teams will be able to make player transactions again beginning Friday at noon which would allow for the first trades in months. The trade deadline will also be moved to a month later to August 31.
- MLB will have a COVID-19 specific inactive list that players will be placed on if and when they test positive or show symptoms. As of now, there is no set amount of time for the player to sit out.
- MLB has talked with the city of Nashville about hosting two teams of unsigned players who would be paid to remain in shape as potential replacement players, should the need arise during the season, which teams would then have to pay to add these players. Other details about this possibility have yet to be confirmed.
- The start of “spring” training is set to begin next week on July 1 with opening day to be on July 23 or 24. The end of the regular season is anticipated to happen at the end of September, around September 27, in the hopes that by moving up the postseason, expected to be before November 1, it will decrease the possibility of the World Series being canceled due to another wave of COVID-19.
MLB has reportedly ordered all spring training sites to be closed and sanitized, and personnel must test negative for COVID-19 before being allowed to return. In recent days, 40 MLB players and staff members reportedly tested positive for coronavirus so it is unclear how that may affect the league’s decision.
