If you like to live on the optimistic side, and if you view any safe season at all this year as a win, then this is another very happy report to add to the mix this morning.
Via SNY and Andy Martino:
There is optimism among teams and agents that MLB is on track to play in 2020 https://t.co/Hv1QMUDy5m pic.twitter.com/goj4M5SZtN
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 23, 2020
Definite optimism among clubs and agents and other officials that MLB is on track to play this year. Folks still working hard behind scenes on details.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) April 22, 2020
It’s worth noting that it was earlier this week that Commissioner Rob Manfred told teams he “fully anticipate[d]” that baseball would return this year, and it was just yesterday that agent Scott Boras was talking to CNBC as though coming back could happen much sooner than people think.
Taken together with a more generic report that there is optimism among others that MLB is “on track” to play this year? Yeah, I think that should provide fans some optimism, too.
The necessary reality checks are that you still can’t pull this off without mass testing (though perhaps the additional federal funding coming this week will help), the players have to be on board with whatever quarantine approach is necessary, and you still have to figure out the complicated economics of a season without any fans. But those involved who are having these conversations and making these plans are apparently optimistic at this moment in time. So I’ll allow myself to be just a touch more optimistic, too.