UPDATE, 9:35 p.m. ET: Major League Baseball has confirmed the deal, which features a 60-game regular season and Opening Day on either July 23 or 24.
Opening Day: July 23 or 24
Season: 60 games
Location: Home ballparks
Health and safety: "MLB's foremost priorities" pic.twitter.com/PWOu9GolDh
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 24, 2020
Play ball!
After months of negotiations, Major League Baseball and players finally have reached a deal.
The MLB Players association confirmed the deal via Twitter on Tuesday night.
All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps.
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 24, 2020
The deal features a 60-game schedule beginning July 24, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Players agreed to report to training camp by July 1 earlier in the day, but spend a little extra time hammering out details surrounding new health and safety protocols surrounding COVID-19.
According to USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale, the league has agreed to the union’s proposal to allow players who “cohabitate with a high-risk individual,” like a pregnant spouse, may opt out and be paid service time. Before Tuesday’s deal, only players personally at high risk of severe illness should they catch COVID-19.
MLB agrees to union’s proposal in health/safety protocol that all players who cohabitate with a high-risk individual, including a pregnant spouse, has the right to opt out and be paid with service time. Previously, it was only high-risk players who could opt out and still be paid
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 24, 2020
The Players’ Association now awaits an official scheduled from the league, per Nightengale. That news hopefully should come within the next 72 hours.
The union now simply is waiting for #MLB to provide a 2020 schedule, which is expected to be completed in the next 72 hours.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 24, 2020
Players will report to training camps, which will be held in teams’ respective home cities, within the next several days after spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona were temporarily closed over coronavirus concerned.
