With baseball still on the shelf due to COVID-19, MLB and the MLBPA have been hard at work developing plans to start the 2020 season, with hopes that play can resume in June or July. Up to this point, some of the most prominent plans have included holding the entire season in Arizona, or potentially re-locating teams to one of three “hub” locations: Arizona, Florida, or Texas.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, MLB has weighed several options – including the ones mentioned above – but, as of Saturday, said that they have a “preferred plan” for the season. This plan would involve teams playing as many games as possible in their own home ballparks, as opposed to moving to a different location.
As per Topkin, MLB’s preference would be that teams would start play in late June or early July, play as many games as they can in their own parks, and compete in their usual division. Additionally, each team would make their way through a shortened schedule of at least 80 games.
Topkin also stated that both the Arizona plan as well as the idea of shifting all teams to the aforementioned “hubs” seems more unlikely by the day. The possibility of moving all teams to spring training sites and competing in either the Cactus or Grapefruit league is also just as unlikely.
As news of this preferred plan of action comes to light, it seems that chances of the 2020 season resuming – and resuming soon – have grown. Many are feeling increasingly hopeful, including Rays manager Kevin Cash, who told Topkin “I’m more optimistic today than I was 10 days ago. It sounds like there’s enough thought from so many different corners — players, owners, league officials — that the industry as a whole is really trying to put their heads together to make something come together for some sort of a season.”
Any and all plans to resume the 2020 baseball season will certainly come with both conditions and restrictions, and much thought will have to be given to every nuance. Nevertheless, just as Cash mentioned, it is definitely encouraging to see a serious brainstorming of plans as we await the return of our sport.
