Although most of the particulars still have to be worked out, there appears to be plenty of optimism that Major League Baseball games will be played this calendar year.
Like most every other sports league, MLB’s season is on pause amid the COVID-19 outbreak. But states around the U.S. slowly have started to open back up, and with that, there is hope baseball will be played in 2020, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“Those involved at the sport’s highest levels are increasingly confident games will be played in 2020,” wrote Rosenthal. “But league officials, trying to remain flexible amid the ever-shifting landscape of the pandemic, have yet to determine how, when and where that would happen.
“Rather than rush into a plan and increase the risk of mistakes, the league will continue gathering information and likely wait as long as possible to present a proposal for the players association. The parties would need to negotiate any new playing conditions, and the union likely would resist any suggestion of a further reduction in salaries. The players already have agreed to prorated salaries in a shortened season, but the league might ask for additional concessions in a season that at least would begin with no fans in attendance.”
Unsurprisingly, there are logistical hurdles to jump, few of which will come without challenges. But it appears the league is willing to do anything within the realm of reason to have games played this season, and this is just the latest reminder of that.
