Report: Baseball considering radical realignment plan for 2020 season

No one knows if baseball will return in 2020 — not even Major League Baseball, though it’s preparing for all sorts of scenarios.

One idea being floated, according to a report last week by Bob Nightengale, of USA Today, consists of all teams returning to their spring training homes to play the season.

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That would mean there would be no National League or American League. Teams would play in the Cactus League in Arizona or the Grapefruit League in Florida.

The Cincinnati Reds, for example, would be in a Cactus League division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels.

According to the USA Today report, this is one of several proposals being discussed. Baseball has delayed its season until May at the earliest.

An earlier idea, reported by ESPN, consisted of all the teams playing in Arizona. Major League Baseball released a statement after that report surfaced to say it has been considering numerous contingency plans.

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“While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option,” the statement read, “we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan. While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players Association. The health and safety of our employees, players, fans and the public at large are paramount, and we are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus.”

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