Blue Jays President Pushes Spring Training Amid MLB Hiatus

Earlier this month, the MLB had to postpone the start to its 2020 season due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Now, Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro is questioning where to go from here.

According to CBS Sports, Shapiro held a conference call on Sunday to discuss some logistical aspects of the upcoming season. He reportedly emphasized how the league hopes to have an agreement with the players union in the coming days and the fact that any season would be preceded by a four-week ramp-up period.

Although Opening Day was supposed to take place this Thursday, it will likely commence later this year. At this point, the league and the union will have to agree on either a shortened or cancelled season, including pay and service time.

Boston Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy said earlier this month the MLB may consider playing games in front of empty stadiums, however, the league might also just push the season deeper into the fall months. This means that missed games would be tacked onto the end of the season’s schedule in October and November.

Earlier this month, the MLB and NHL paused operations indefinitely due to the rapid spread of the virus, following suit of the NBA. The MLB’s spring training games were cancelled and the regular season was delayed by at least two weeks, while the NHL suspended its season with “hopes to resume in the future.” Then, days after the announcement, the MLB pushed its opening day to May in accordance with CDC guidelines.