Coming off a year in which they won a franchise-record 106 games but were eliminated in the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers were again touted as a World Series favorite heading into the 2020 regular season.
But the start of this year’s campaign has been delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and more recently because of Major League Baseball and the Players Association not yet being able to come to an economic agreement.
Generally speaking there has been optimism even friction between the two sides was evident, and with that came hope of holding Opening Day on the Fourth of July. Without an agreement in place by the target date of the first week of June, the start of Spring Training 2.0 and the regular season was invariably pushed back.
During the latest episode of the “Holding Kourt Podcast,” Justin Turner acknowledged disappointment over the situation and shared several Dodgers players have continued preparing for the season to eventually begin:
“It’s tough. From the players’ side, we want to play. We want to play as many games as possible. I can’t speak for the other 29 organizations, but I know Dodger Stadium is open and Camelback Ranch is open for guys to go in and train. We are limited with what we can do because of the guidelines and regulations. I think there can only be three players at a time at the stadium.
“But we’re staying ready. Guys are throwing bullpens, guys are throwing lives, taking at-bats, just staying sharp. Because we know that, hopefully, we can come to an agreement real soon, and once that happens things will start happening pretty quick. … I hope we can have a July 10 start date. I think we dropped the ball by not getting it done so we could start on July 4.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred indicated the league was preparing another counteroffer for the MLBPA that would be a step toward the players’ demands, he also maintained their desire for full prorated salaries and an 89-game season are not feasible. MLB previously rejected a proposal from the union that called for 114 games to be played.
If days continue to pass without an agreement, Manfred is expected to impose a shortened season of roughly 50 to 60 games. However, players at that point would likely file a grievance and not approve an expanded postseason field.
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