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Yesterday, both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association came up with an agreement for how to handle the 2020 season. After the conclusion of the deal, MLB has issued a moratorium on all roster moves. Some teams have gotten ahead of the curve on these moves, which has included releasing/adding minor league free agents and sending players to the minors on optional assignments. Until baseball can resume, teams will not be able to move players to and from their rosters. Players who are either on the 40-man roster or minor league free agents that are still a part of the Spring roster will still get paid thanks to owners paying a $170MM advance for the players.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting on what sort of guidelines both MLB and the MLBPA are looking for to resume games.
* The caveat agreed to by the players and league is that they will consider playing games at neutral sites instead of home ballparks -- and will consider the feasibility of playing in empty stadiums and just how proper a solution it may be for both sides and especially fans.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2020
Another potential determining factor for when games resume will be if MLB owners are comfortable having games without fans in attendance. While MLB teams stand to lose roughly 30% of their total revenue without fans buying tickets, concessions, and merchandise for those games, they stand to lose more if the season is cancelled.
In the past two weeks, the Diamondbacks have optioned RHP Jon Duplantier, RHP Taylor Clarke, and 1B Kevin Cron to AAA Reno.