Some are concerned that spring training could begin, only to be shut down by the virusGETTY IMAGES
MLB and the MLBPA at some point are "going to have to figure out whether they can start on time, whether government in local areas” and even the “federal government will allow them to start on time," according to MLB Network's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal said, "We know the rollout of the vaccines is proceeding rather slowly, too slowly, so with spring training less than a month away, I have (a) hard time sitting here and envisioning camps open and ... hope springs eternal as it normally is." Rosenthal continued, "If they are allowed, which I don't know that they will be, do they really want to go to camps in February, perhaps have some breakouts right away and then have to shut down?" MLB's position going back to the start of the pandemic last March has been "this will be dictated by the virus." Rosenthal: "If the virus is going to dictate it, I don't know that right now it's looking too good." Rosenthal said he could see a scenario where MLB postpones the season a month, noting "there are some owners who have discussed such a scenario." Rosenthal: "Baseball's network partners -- Fox, Turner, ESPN -- don't necessarily want playoffs in November because, of course, there's college football, there's pro football heating up, other things going on" ("High Heat," MLB Network, 1/18).
STILL NOMADS: YAHOO SPORTS' Tim Brown noted the Blues Jays' home opener on April 8 against the Angels is nearly three months from now, and "no one knows for sure where that game will be played." The options, today, "seem to be Toronto, Dunedin [Fla.] and Buffalo." The preference is Toronto if the virus "has been tamped at least enough to allow travel." A lot will "have to happen between now and then in the areas of vaccine distribution and curve flattening and hospital-bed availability." In the event the Blue Jays are "unable to start their season in Toronto, they could finish there if conditions improve in the summer." Brown: "Buffalo worked. It's close to Toronto. There's also, however, a minor-league team there -- the Triple-A Bisons." The Blue Jays have a "new, massive player development facility and complex in Dunedin." So the advantages of playing there are "comfort and familiarity," since come the start of the regular season, the Blue Jays "will already be there." Still, it is just a Class-A ballpark, "no matter how polished up and freshly lovely." The Blue Jays "could look into sharing a major-league facility with another club ... though that creates more challenges" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/19).
