While Major League Baseball remains paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, a potential timeline for the beginning of the abbreviated season could be starting to come into view.
According to SNY's Andy Martino, and with the caveat that the coronavirus will determine the outcome, the first step toward the 2020 season could be an agreement between the league and players in May on how the season will proceed.
After that, the next step would be a few weeks of spring training in June and the start of regular season games in July.
The league has been exploring many scenarios for where the season will start and how it will look, including having "hubs" in one or multiple cities that would host games that are played in ballparks without fans.
Among the scenarios that have been considered are having all 30 teams in Arizona, splitting them between Arizona and Florida, and using Arizona, Florida, and Texas.
However, how the season begins might not be how it ends, with the league wanting any plan to be agile enough to allow it to expand or pivot to other locations as the season progresses if the conditions allow.
Martino reported last week that there was "definite optimism among clubs and agents and other officials" that the league is on track to play the 2020 season.
As far as how compensation would be worked out between the owners and players in the event the season resumes but is not played in front of fans, Martino said any concern over those details being worked out is much ado about nothing since both sides already understand that players will have to accept different compensation for a modified season.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred expressed optimism last week regarding the 2020 season, but did not give a timeline regarding a potential start date.