The fate of the 2020 MLB season could be decided in the next week, as MLB and MLBPA reps are negotiating player-safety guidelines and could be reviewing financial data presented by baseball owners as early as today.
The two issues are the prime considerations for a season launch on the July 4 weekend, as MLB preps for a season beginning with play at empty ballparks, though the hope is to add fans later in the year. The MLB proposal re: player-safety guidelines—a hefty 67 pages—covered a wide range of topics that included testing, social-distancing guidelines and game protocols banning the likes of spitting, fist bumps and high fives. When on the road, players would be asked to stay in their rooms, and in all cases dress before they hit the ballpark while also giving up tools like hydrotherapy. A response from the MLBPA was issued last night, focused on additional testing frequency, provisions for family members and details on how a positive-testing player would be handled.