There have been a number of reported proposals over the past week on how the Major League Baseball season can get started as soon as safely possible. However, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, it may be "Arizona or bust."
Passan made the statement Monday:
"It seems like it's going to be Arizona or bust for Major League Baseball."@JeffPassan on the MLB happening this season. pic.twitter.com/LbBR3KcNo6
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 13, 2020
“When it’s all said and done, it seems like it’s going to be Arizona or bust for Major League Baseball,” Passan said. “It may have to get to the point where they say to themselves, this is what we are going to try to do even if we can’t ultimately pull it off.”
While many have conceded the season could start in June or July rather than MLB's optimistic prediction of May, there has not been much talk yet of the 2020 season being cancelled. However, the regular season would have been about one-tenth complete at this date had it not been for the shutdown, and there is no end in sight. Even with the players' union willing to play deeper into the fall to get as many games in as possible, there is a chance they could not start in time to play an abbreviated, but fair, season.
On April 7, MLB commented on Passan's initial report of the league exploring hosting the season in Arizona. In a released statement, MLB said it was considering a number of contingency plans, though nothing had been decided.
Major League Baseball issued the following statement this morning: pic.twitter.com/zyjrbGICVQ
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) April 7, 2020
A similar plan, in which teams would return to their spring training home for the regular season, was floated last week, though Passan was more dismissive of it. While he did not go into specifics, Florida facilities are scattered throughout the state, while all the Arizona ones are within an hour of each other. If the goal is to create a "biosphere" and keep the players away from the public, it would certainly be much easier to do in Arizona.
Florida has also been hit harder by COVID-19 than Arizona, making the Cactus League facilities even more appealing.
The Arizona plan is to create an isolation bubble where players are quarantined for two weeks before resuming spring training. The games would be played between 10 spring training ballparks and the Diamondbacks' Chase Field. Players would only be allowed to travel between the team hotel and the ballpark and would not be able to interact with people outside the isolation bubble. There would also be numerous rule changes, including seven-inning double-headers, an electronic strike zone and removing mound visits.
MLB would need to get approval from the players union to put this plan into action, especially since they are asking players and coaches to be separated from the families for months potentially.
Passan also notes that while the season may start in a biosphere in Arizona, there could be hope that teams would be able to return home at some point in 2020. However, they would probably be playing in empty stadiums for the rest of the year.
