When MLB suspended spring training on Thursday, it seemed like players would remain in camp to continue workouts over the next month in hopes of starting the season on April 9. Everything would be the same except no games against other opponents would be played. That changed on Friday.
In a change, players are being sent home from spring camps now after an agreement between MLB and union. Possible some could remain but there will be no formal workouts. Players are concerned.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 13, 2020
Later reports, including this one by Jesse Dougherty, outlined three options for the players:
- Stay in spring training city and receive the normal living allowances, even if you don’t go to the field.
- Go to club’s home city.
- Go home. But players’ whose homes are out of the country are being encouraged to stay in the U.S., since they could have trouble returning.
Players that stay will have use of workout facilities such as weight rooms, mounds and indoor cages, but no on-field activities will take place.
Some MLB teams believed that keeping the players together and in ST sites enhanced the odds they would stay healthy; other clubs argued that once somebody in a clubhouse became sick (inevitably), then many others would, as well. Now most of the players will head home, apparently.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 13, 2020
There is another part of this which definitely suggests that the season will start later than April 9.
The joint decision by MLB/PA to shut spring facilities for anything but training (read: no on-field baseball) means there'ill have to be a 2d spring training when the sport resumes at some future date. The longer they are out, the longer the spring training will be
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 13, 2020
A second spring training does not sound fun. That means whenever it is safe for players to return, they will have to do a condescended version of spring training, including on-field activities and games (I’m assuming). A lot would have to change very quickly for all that to occur prior to April 9.
Update – 4:55PM
MLB said their plan is to still play all 162 games, making up games missed at the back-end of the schedule. That seems doable if only a handful are missed, but considering the updates above and uncertainty with Coronavirus, it seems highly unlikely they’ll be able to fit in all 162.
The current thinking at MLB is to try to play all 162 games. Needless to say, the situation is changing every day, and that might not be true anymore by the time I finish typing this tweet.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) March 13, 2020
