Despite a surge in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across the country, Major League Baseball and the Players Association continue operating under the expectation that 2021 Spring Training will start on time.
MLB is planning to take extra precautions when facilities open roughly three weeks from now, including limiting the amount of players in camp. The league recently issued a stern memo to teams warning them of significant discipline if players report earlier than expected.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, they traditionally arrive to Camelback Ranch during the second week of February. While they haven’t revealed their plans yet, the club is scheduled to open up Cactus League play against the Chicago Cubs at the end of next month.
Whether that happens remain to be seen, as the Cactus League has suggested to MLB to postpone the start of Spring Training due to high coronavirus infection rates in Maricopa County, via Brahm Resnik of KPNX TV:
“Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Cactus League has formed a task force to ensure that our Spring Training facilities are prepared to host the 2021 Spring Training season in a manner that is safe for all involved. We stand ready to work with you on the final preparation and outcome to begin the season.
“Last week, leaders of all eight Cactus League cities and the tribal community had the opportunity to meet with Major League Baseball representatives and provide an update on our efforts as the February reporting date for Major League Baseball players approaches.
“We are grateful to MLB for its partnership and unified in our commitment to provide a safe, secure environment; to that end, the task force has worked to ensure that ballparks are able to meet COVID-19 protocols such as pod seating, social distancing and contactless transactions. But in the view of the current state of the pandemic in Maricopa County — with one of the nation’s highest infection rates — we believe it is wise to delay the start of Spring Training to allow for the COVID-19 situation to improve here. This position is based on public data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which projects a sharp decline in infections in Arizona by mid-March (an estimated 9,712 daily infections on February 15 and 3,072 daily infections on March 15).
“We understand that any decision to delay Spring Training cannot be made unilaterally by MLB. As leaders charged with protecting public health, and as committed, longtime partners in the Spring Training industry, we want you to know we stand united on this point.
“We appreciate the opportunity to offer input and thank MLB for its collaboration in assisting our facilities as they prepare for the 2021 Spring Training season. We welcome further discussions as needed.”
While the Cactus League has endorsed delaying the start of Spring Training, it isn’t clear if the Grapefruit League shares the same stance. Ultimately, it will be up to MLB and the MLBPA to make a decision, and all indications to this point are that they want to begin as scheduled.
If MLB makes a decision based on the Cactus League’s projections, it is reasonable to expect Spring Training being pushed back by a month. In this scenario, the regular season could be shortened or extend into October.
Minor League Spring Training could be delayed
Even before the Cactus League recommended pushing back the start of Spring Training, MLB was said to be planning on limiting the amount of players in camp next month.
This would only affect Minor League players who haven’t advanced to Triple-A. They reportedly wouldn’t be eligible to report to their teams until coronavirus vaccines become more widely available.
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