Newsstand

Major League Baseball has announced a plan that will see minor league players receive some form of financial help while the baseball world is in limbo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As per the media release…

Each player who is under a Minor League Uniform Player Contract will receive a lump sum equal to the allowances that would have been paid through April 8^th.  The exceptions to this plan are non-40-man-roster players who are already receiving Major League allowances; players who are currently receiving housing, food or other services from Clubs; and players who were not participating in, or expected to participate in, Minor League Spring Training.   MLB remains in communication with Clubs on the development of an industry-wide plan for Minor League player compensation from April 9^th through the beginning of the coming season.

The announcement also called this plan an “initial step,” as “MLB intends to continue working with all 30 Clubs to identify additional ways to support those players as a result of the delayed 2020 season.”  In essence, the league now has a couple more weeks to figure out a longer-term answer to the problem of paying minor league players, amidst the countless other issues that must be addressed during this prolonged shutdown.

While some teams (including the Rays, Mets, and Dodgers) have already made arrangements to provide their minor leaguers with a stipend, this news from the league formalizes such payments across all 30 farm systems, covering hundreds of minor league players.  It will undoubtedly bring comfort to these athletes, the vast majority of whom didn’t receive any sort of notable signing bonus and have been earning less-than-minimum wage salaries during their playing careers.

The financial difficulties faced by minor league players was a subject of controversy well before the coronavirus outbreak, of course, though the timing of the league-wide shutdown right in the midst of Spring Training (when minor leaguers enjoyed the bonus of lodgings and meal money provided by their organizations) made the situation particularly troublesome.  Some clubs like the Diamondbacks have continued to provide these amenities to minor leaguers during the shutdown — as the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro notes, D’Backs prospects thus won’t be subject to the league-wide policy.

All 30 Major League clubs have established $1MM funds to cover the lost wages of their gameday and event staffs during the league-wide shutdown, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). MLB commissioner Rob Manfred offered the following statement on the teams’ actions (Twitter thread via Joel Sherman of the New York Post):

Over the past 48 hours, I have been approached by representatives of all 30 clubs to help assist the thousands of ballpark employees affected by the delay in the start of the Major League Baseball season. Motivated by desire to help some of the most valuable members of the baseball community, each Club has committed $1 million. The individual clubs will be announcing more details surrounding this support effort in their local communities. The timing of these announcements will vary because of the need to coordinate with state and local laws as well as collective bargaining obligations in an effort to maximize the benefits realized by each group of employees. I am proud that our clubs came together so quickly and uniformly to support these individuals who provide so much to the game we love.

It’s a nice gesture of goodwill and solidarity by all 30 teams, as thousands of ballpark employees throughout the league saw their livelihoods impacted and threatened by the absence of games being played. There are still, of course, other issues to address — namely the manner in which minor league players will be compensated during the hiatus.

As covered here earlier today, non-40-man players aren’t protected by the MLBPA and are currently set to go without their already meager salaries during the unexpected work stoppage. Some clubs — the Rays, Mets and Dodgers among them — are allotting a $400 weekly stipend through the end of the month, although that’s a temporary solution to a much larger-scale problem.

Following last night’s recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Major League Baseball has issued a new statement confirming that Opening Day will be delayed considerably later than the original April 9 date:

Today Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. conducted a conference call with the 30 Clubs of Major League Baseball. Following last night’s newly updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, the opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance.

MLB will keep fans updated on decisions regarding plans for the 2020 schedule in the days and weeks ahead. The Clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins. We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit. MLB extends its best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by the coronavirus.

Eight weeks from the CDC’s new guidelines last night will push things back until May 10, although there’s no indication that that’s a firm target date. Players will surely need a second installment of Spring Training to ramp back up for game readiness, and the restrictions on the size of gatherings could (and likely will) apply to exhibition contests as well. Even that May 10 date could be optimistic insofar as resuming exhibition play; USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted earlier today that multiple general managers are bracing for a delay that could extend into July.

As for the “playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” that remains a challenge in its own right. Manfred said on the aforementioned conference call that owners are still hoping to play a full schedule, although characterizing that as “difficult to envision” would be putting things mildly. Even a Memorial Day start time feels somewhat optimistic at present, and that would push the standard six-month season calendar back into December. Some stadiums, of course, are domed or have retractable roofs, which could aid in playing games late in the year when weather conditions are a concern, but there are myriad logistical challenges that would go along with playing games in neutral settings as necessary late in the year.

Some have suggested vastly increasing the number of doubleheaders played throughout the season, but one can imagine substantial pushback from the MLBPA on that front. The season already has very few off-days (relative to the number of games played), and increasing workload in an effort to reduce the overall length of schedule represents a heightened injury risk.

As has been the case since the the initial two-week delay was announced last week, the unknowns overwhelmingly outweigh the certainties. There’s no immediate means of accurately forecasting the rate at which the coronoavirus will spread — at least not in such a long-term scope. The league and union will surely take the downtime to discuss matters such as scheduling, player salaries, service time, postponing the draft and All-Star Game, pushing back the trade deadline and countless other situations necessitated by the unprecedented slate of delays. As for when Opening Day will actually take place, there’s just no clear way of accurately projecting that at this time.

12:55pm: The non-roster invitees who are covered by the union’s weekly allowance are those who are Article XX(B) free agents and finished the 2019 season on a Major League roster or injured list, MLBTR has learned. That effectively covers players with six-plus years of MLB service who closed out last season on a roster and settled for minor league deals this winter.

12:05pm: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Manfred confirmed the obvious during the conference call, plainly stating: “We are not going to start on April 9.”

Unsurprisingly, Goold notes that owners are still hoping to enjoy the revenue of a full season, although it’s not at all clear how they believe that to be possible. That seems like more of a pipe dream, given the increasingly broad slate of governmental regulations and restrictions being put into place the curb the spread of the pandemic. Beyond that, the logistical and meteorological challenges that would arise with a season beginning as late as June or July range from formidable to insurmountable.

Digression aside, Goold adds that Manfred has not formally closed training camps but has sought to limit informal workouts. The commissioner wouldn’t speculate as to when the season could actually begin.

11:53am: Developments have been quick to materialize since Major League Baseball halted Spring Training camps due to the Coronavirus pandemic. More major news could be on the horizon, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that commissioner Rob Manfred is conducting a conference call today wherein he plans to advise all clubs to shut down their spring facilities entirely. Nightengale adds that multiple GMs believe the shutdown could now extend into the month of July, although there’s no formal word on anything beyond the current (very conservative) April 9 date that was announced last Thursday.

Additionally, the MLBPA sent a memo to agents this morning covering a number of issues that have grown into points of concern in the wake of the shutdown (all Twitter links via The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal). Among the pressing issues for veteran players who are in camp on non-roster deals was one of what happens to their mid-spring opt-out dates. A player with a March 19 opt-out date, for instance, is left in an uncomfortable limbo.

Such clauses are commonplace among veterans; among the dozens of recognizable names with such provisions are: Francisco Liriano, Neil Walker, Wade LeBlanc, Logan Forsythe, Greg Holland, Trevor Rosenthal, Jake Petricka and Anthony Swarzak (among countless others). The dates of those clauses range from March 16 up through Opening Day. The Blue Jays already selected Joe Panik to the 40-man roster to avoid complications.

To that end, the league and union are discussing a transaction freeze that could be implemented in the “very near future” and would run through the reopening of training camps, per Rosenthal. Certainly, there’ll need to be some renegotiation of just where those players’ opt-outs will fall on the calendar of a so-called “second Spring Training” later in the year, but the worry over what to do for the time being would be mitigated. Those players would simply remain the property of the clubs with which they signed this winter, rather than having to decide whether to exercise an opt-out clause at a time when the team can’t be sure of a non-roster player’s chances of making the club (and a time when other clubs may be wary of signing anyone new).

The union is also offering to cover some spring living allowances for players, per Rosenthal, allotting up to $1100 per week to 40-man roster players — and “certain non-roster invitees,” though the nature of the exemption isn’t clear — who choose to return either to their homes or to their team’s home city. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link), the memo stipulates: “This allowance will remain in effect until April 9th or such a time that the Clubs begin providing similar allowances.”

Sherman further adds (Twitter thread) that the union has informed agents that it is raising complaints with the league regarding teams that have not complied with MLB’s March 14 memo regarding the availability of spring facilities. That memo stipulated that players on a 40-man roster “must be permitted to remain at the Club’s Spring Training site, and are eligible to receive their usual Spring Training allowances.” Today’s union memo indicates that various player testimonies and public reports have made clear this is not happening universally.

Of course, further questions abound. The two sides are still discussing scheduling, player salaries, Major League service time, amateur signings and a host of other topics, per Rosenthal. Matters that pertain to the June draft, incentive-laden contracts and the July 31 trade deadline are surely all being discussed and will be ongoing as both parties seek to navigate their way through an unprecedented series of challenges in today’s game.

MLB is set to advise teams against conducting organized group workouts at team facilities, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (via Twitter). Limiting mass workouts is designed to comply with health experts’ recommendations that people avoid congregating when possible to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. However, facilities are likely to remain open for individual use on a case-by-case basis, Rosenthal adds. MLB has formally sent the advisement to the clubs, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). One player has informed ESPN’s Marly Rivera that teams are indeed now set to cease all organized group workouts.

MLB is mandating that non-roster players return home if safely possible (via Sherman). Players on a team’s 40-man roster remain eligible to stay onsite at spring camps, MLB announced, citing a lack of authority to send rostered players home under the CBA. Nevertheless, even players on the 40-man roster are expected to be barred from group workouts at club facilities.

Many teams were planning to continue working together while the sport is on pause. That no longer seems it’ll be the case, at least not at team facilities. Players are still free to work out individually and organize training groups among themselves. Some will almost certainly do so. But with experts calling for everyone to practice social distancing wherever possible, MLB (wisely) determined that mass gatherings of players are simply too dangerous at this point.

Today’s development only lends further credence to yesterday’s report that the season won’t be getting underway until May at the earliest, as Sherman points out (via Twitter).

2:49pm: The league is providing players with three options, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter links). They can go to their personal homes, which is the apparent preference of the league, though there’s a warning there for players who reside in other countries owing to potential travel restrictions. Players can instead remain in camp facilities and continue to receive living allowances. Or they may go to the home city of their particular club.

2:32pm: Major League Baseball, which is holding ongoing discussions with the players’ association even now, has advised players to leave Spring Training facilities for their homes. Jon Heyman of MLB Network first tweeted the news; multiple other reports have emerged indicating that players have been encouraged by their respective teams to depart.

This reverses the general direction of expectations from earlier in the day. Multiple team leaders had indicated to reporters that they expected to keep players at their spring facilities for at least the foreseeable several days. Even with spring contests scratched, there was evidently some thought given to keeping players around to continue training.

Precisely what precipitated this approach isn’t yet known, but it surely did not make much sense to keep players gathered if a lengthy delay is inevitable. Maintaining the health and safety of players and employees is surely the top priority as the league seeks to play its part in stemming the spread of the coronavirus.

There is an obvious desire not to delay the start of the upcoming season longer than necessary. To this point, the league has not formally announced an expansion of its previously announced two-week delay. But fully breaking up spring camp makes that a mere formality.

Both major and minor-league players will be sent out of team facilities. Just when they will return is anyone’s guess, but it seems clear at this point that some kind of additional spring training ramp-up will be required before the 2020 season gets underway.

5:27PM: Officials from both the league and the players’ union will discuss players’ various concerns about the shutdown situation in a meeting tonight, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).

In other news, the possibility exists that when the schedule does get underway, some games could be played within an empty-stadium environment.  For instance, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker told Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago and other media that owners of all Chicago sports teams, including the White Sox and Cubs, had agreed to either suspend home games or to not allow fans to attend home games until May 1.

2:11PM: Major League Baseball has officially halted on-field operations due as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.  As per an announcement this afternoon, Spring Training has been suspended, and the start of the regular season will be delayed by at least two weeks.

The league’s full statement…

Following a call with the 30 Clubs, and after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. today announced that MLB has decided to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic.  This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, Clubs and our millions of loyal fans. 

MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season.  Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to Clubs in the coming days.  As of 4:00 p.m. (ET) today, forthcoming Spring Training games have been cancelled, and 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier games in Tucson, Arizona have been postponed indefinitely.

MLB and the Clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular season schedule.  MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.

Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our players, employees and fans.  MLB will continue to undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts.  We send our best wishes to all individuals and communities that have been impacted by coronavirus.

It was widely expected that the league would make a ruling of this nature in short order, particularly after the NBA’s announcement last night that it was suspending its season set off a chain reaction of similar halts in play by numerous other professional (such as Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, and the Association of Tennis Professionals) and college sports organizations.

MLS set a 30-day suspension on its regular season, and the NBA is also facing at least a 30-day break (as per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star).  Major League Baseball’s 2020 season was scheduled to begin on March 26, and a two week delay to April 9 would set a timeline just shy of that 30-day mark.  That said, it could be optimistic at best to expect games by April 9, given the global uncertainty surrounding the spread and treatment of COVID-19.  These big-picture issues naturally take absolute top priority in the league’s mind, and only once those concerns are dealt with will MLB’s attention be more fully turned to baseball-related logistical factors, such as contractual terms, service time, player pay, how much time is needed for players to get prepared (or re-prepared) for regular-season action, etc.

While official Spring Training activities have been halted, some teams (including the Twins, Reds, Mets, and Nationals) are temporarily keeping their facilities open so players can take part in non-mandatory workouts.  It remains to be seen how long camps will remain open, of course, as teams and players continue to monitor the situation and await further word from the league.

Should the halt in activities last far beyond April 9, a full 162-game season may not be feasible, unless the league was open to pushing the postseason fairly deep into November.  At this point, MLB’s “variety of contingency plans” surely involves scenarios for a shortened season, perhaps akin to the 144-game 1995 season that didn’t begin until April 25 due to the players’ strike.