After weeks of bitter negotiating, Major League Baseball is finally set to return to the field.
All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps.
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 24, 2020
The MLB Players Association has agreed to report to training camps next week, in preparation for a 60-game season according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to report to training camps by July 1 and play a 60-game season, sources tell ESPN, but deal is not finalized yet.
One last health-and-safety hurdle to get over and Major League Baseball will be back a week from tomorrow.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 23, 2020
The season is likely to begin around July 24, says Passan.
Teams will play games in their home ballparks, with the likely exception of the Toronto Blue Jays, who will probably relocate to Buffalo or Florida due to Canada’s 14-day quarantine rule for incoming travellers.
Owners and players have had trouble agreeing on most things during the pandemic, aside from players accepting prorated salaries based on the number of games played. Players were hoping for more games to collect a larger pay cheque, while owners appeared to favour a shorter season given they will lose money due to not being able to have fans attend games.
The shortened season will include the fewest number of games played in an MLB season since 1878. MLB seasons have been 162 games in length since the early 1960s.