The basic outline involves playing roughly 80 games—about half as many as usual—beginning in early July, following a second spring training in June. Games would be held without fans in as many MLB stadiums as allowed by local governments. Other teams would relocate, perhaps to their spring training facilities in Arizona or Florida. For example, anybody entering Canada is currently subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine, making the Toronto Blue Jays a candidate to find a new home, at least at first.
To reduce travel,
the schedule would be regionalized, with teams exclusively facing opponents from their own geographic area. That would mean, for instance, the Los Angeles Dodgers playing games against not only their traditional National League West rivals, but also American League West teams like the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. Additionally, the playoffs would expand from 10 participants to as many as 14 as a way to help offset MLB’s reduced revenues. Rosters could also be expanded.
For any of this to proceed, two giant hurdles need to be cleared. First, the league will have to assure the union it has the capability to administer frequent coronavirus screening—how frequent is still unclear—without taking testing capabilities away from front-line workers and more essential sectors of the economy. Second, there must be a protocol for what happens if someone contracts Covid-19–ideally without shutting down the entire league.
Then there are the financial considerations. The league is expected to ask the players to take a further pay cut as a result of playing in empty ballparks, meaning teams will receive no revenue from ticket sales, parking and concessions. The two sides
previously reached a deal in March in which the players agreed to prorate their salaries, but MLB says that only applied to games with fans, and anything else requires further negotiation.
The salary issue will almost certainly lead to a fight. MLB says it isn’t economically viable to play in empty stadiums while still paying players their full rates. The union believes that TV revenues, extra postseason games and the reduced expenses from playing without fans will help cover the losses. At the moment, neither side seems prepared to budge.
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