San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
So many questions, few answers amid upheaval
Major League Baseball’s move to shut down amid the coronavirus crisis has the sport in largely uncharted waters. While it was initially suggested Opening Day might be delayed two weeks, that already appears optimistic and the layoff seems, for now, indefinite. MLB has provided some answers, but there is still plenty to be sorted out — even when baseball eventually returns.
What we know
Games suspended: On Thursday, MLB announced that the remaining spring training games would be canceled and the start of the regular season, originally set for March 26, would be delayed at least two weeks. On Friday, MLB announced that all spring training camps would be suspended, effective immediately.
The A’s were scheduled to start the season with home series against the Twins and Astros, then play the Twins and Angels on the road before April 9. The Giants were scheduled to start on the road against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, then play their home opener April 3.
Player options: With the suspension of spring training Friday, players were given three choices — stay in their spring training city, go home or relocate to their team’s majorleague home city.
On Saturday, Giants first baseman Brandon Belt told The Chronicle’s Henry Schulman, “everyone is staying” at the team’s spring facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., to continue preparing for the season. A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt, meanwhile, told The Chronicle’s Susan Slusser that most players would take the weekend to decide whether to stay in Mesa or return home.
Local impact: Resumption of the season, and professional sports in general, could be impacted by regional mandates. Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials recommended canceling or postponing gatherings of 250 or more people through at least March to combat spread of COVID-19 (369 cases in California, including 197 in the Bay Area, as of Saturday night). Local governments have implemented stricter measures; San Francisco on Wednesday banned large gatherings for two weeks. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has not issued statewide restrictions on large gatherings, though some events have been canceled in Scottsdale and Mesa. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services website, 12 people in Arizona had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Saturday morning.
What we don’t know
How long will the shutdown last? This will likely be subject — and is secondary — to the issue of public health. In delaying Opening Day, MLB announced it would “continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season.” On Saturday, The Athletic reported that sources in baseball consider it “unlikely” the season will start before May.
How will teams handle the layoff? With MLB officially suspending camps, what structure will there be for players who choose to stay at their spring training facilities? What will “informal” workouts look like? Will teams provide plans to players who return home to stay in baseball shape? Will players be able to maintain strides they’d made early in spring?
There are also financial questions, including how players will be paid until a season starts. Minor league players, in particular, could face a financial crunch during the layoff.
What will a 2020 season look like? Whenever baseball is cleared to return, teams will likely need a ramping-up period — Spring Training II — to get ready for games. One A’s official estimated pitchers could need three weeks to get game-ready again — but that depends on the length of the layoff.
If Opening Day is delayed until May or beyond, will a shortened season be considered instead of a 162-game slate that would push the World Series deeper into the year? MLB said it has “a variety of contingency plans” for the schedule. But those won’t go into effect until it’s deemed safe to play again — whenever that might be.