League is reportedly aiming for a July 24th restart
Multiple sources from the Associated Press and ESPN are saying that Major League Baseball plans on holding a 60-game season that will reportedly begin on July 24th. Sources went on to tell ESPN that for the plan to work, the league first needs players to sign off on health-and-safety protocols while also promising to arrive at home stadiums on July 1st to begin preparing for the season.
MLB Owners voted to implement a 60-game season on Monday. Just hours before that decision, the MLBPA rejected a proposal from the league that featured a 60-game season as well as an expanded postseason and certain types of “ancillary salary bumps.”
Major League Baseball decided to exercise its right to implement a season based on a decision that was agreed upon by both sides during negotiations back in March. According to the agreement, the league could make the regular season and postseason baseball schedule however long it wanted. ESPN is saying a 60-game season will allow the league to play as much baseball as possible before reaching its self-imposed cutoff date for regular season play, September 27th.
Multiple professional baseball players told ESPN that they expect to agree to the league’s call to report by July 1st as well as the league’s health-and-safety protocols. MLBPA executive subcommittee member Andrew Miller further drove this point home, telling ESPN, “we are ready to get back on the field.”
A 60-game regular season would be the shortest baseball season since 1878. If the league begins play on time, it will be the latest Opening Day in Major League Baseball History.
