Now two months into what should have been the 2020 regular season, Major League Baseball is working toward salvaging what it can. Commission Rob Manfred already conceded playing a 162-game season was out of the question, and MLB’s latest talks center around half that many.
While outlining a scenario to play an estimated 82 games this year, MLB additionally proposed to the Players Association an expanded field in the postseason to 14 teams, among other changes. Of course, the more pressing matters are the economics, player safety and coronavirus (COVID-19) testing.
As MLB and the union remain in negotiations over the proposal, Bryce Harper offered his suggestions for how a season could be structured. The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder suggested taking a page from the NBA by aligning divisions for East and West, playing 135 games with seven-inning doubleheaders on Sundays, and days off every other Monday.
Harper additionally pitched a postseason tournament at neutral sites, akin to what’s seen with the College World Series.
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Harper’s idea has MLB playing games well into the fall and winter, which the league reportedly is against given anticipation over a second wave of the coronavirus. Revenues for the regular season already figure to be severely diminished with the likelihood games will have to be played without fans in attendance.
Having the postseason interrupted would further cut into revenues by way of TV dollars.
Where Harper and MLB do appear to be aligned is with expanded rosters and a universal designated hitter. The DH being incorporated in the National League was viewed as a possibility within the next few years anyhow, and it’s being presented in 2020 as further means to help protect pitchers.
Whether Harper’s proposal or the plan that was submitted to the Players Association, the biggest obstacles seemingly lie on the health front. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark previously indicated vast testing and a vaccine were required in order to begin the season.
MLB reportedly reached an agreement with a Utah lab on the testing front, but the development of a vaccine is at least several months off.
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