The Thursday, April 2, 2020

*

Why a shortened season works in the Red Sox’ favor

Peter Abraham

Thursday was supposed to be the home opener at , a 2:05 p.m. tilt against Yoan Moncada and the newly competitive .

The sellout crowd would have been eager to see the Red Sox regardless of how they played in the first seven games of the season. For one day, just being back in Fenway and seeing those crisp white home uniforms would have been enough.

But if there is a home opener this year, it’s not going to be for a long time. has officially pushed the season back until at least mid-May because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a more realistic appraisal is sometime in June or July.

The idea of a brief in June and then a July 4 Opening Day is something MLB officials privately believe is plausible. Their goal is to start the season when fans would be allowed at ballparks, but the idea of playing in empty stadiums has been discussed.

It’s impossible to say how it will turn , given how quickly the news about the pandemic changes.

But as eager as we all are to see baseball, playing an abbreviated season could be an advantage to the Red Sox. They’ll never acknowledge that, but it’s true.

Fewer games would mean less exposure for a shaky rotation that was further weakened Monday when had Tommy John surgery.

Eduardo Rodriguez and are a solid combination at the top. Then it falls off sharply to Martin Perez and . There’s no apparent fifth starter.

Over the course of 162 games, it’s inevitable that a weak rotation will get exposed. But over 81 or even 100 games, the Sox conceivably could well enough to overcome that and get into the postseason.

Even without , a lineup with Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, , , Mitch Moreland, and Christian Vazquez will score plenty of runs.

Jackie Bradley Jr., in his free agent year, has ample motivation to improve his hitting. The same is true for newcomers and Jose Peraza, who are both on one-year deals.

A late start to the season also works out well for Alex Verdugo, who would have been on the this week if games were being played.

Verdugo, the centerpiece acquisition of the Betts trade, arrived in Fort Myers still recovering from a back injury that knocked him out of the Dodgers lineup last August. But he is doing well and should be back by the time the season starts.

Verdugo had an .817 OPS in 106 games for the Dodgers last season with 14 defensive runs saved in the . He is potentially a very valuable player for the Sox.

Before spring training ended so abruptly a few weeks ago, a scout told me that he believed Verdugo’s absence contributed to the Dodgers getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last season.

“He plays with an edge, and they missed that,” the scout said. “He’s not afraid of a big situation, and he’ll like Fenway Park. He’ll be a good East Coast player.”

What that means is Verdugo won’t be intimidated by large crowds, high expectations, or obscene hecklers in the Bronx. The Red Sox wanted the most talent they could get for Betts. They also may have gotten a player who will fit well in Boston, and that’s not always easy to accomplish.

Verdugo can’t replace Betts. But get him on the field and the Sox have a dangerous lineup.

The delayed start to the season also gives Collin McHugh a chance to further recover from his elbow injury and join the rotation. Jonathan Lucroy, who was in spring training on a minor league contract, should benefit, too, considering he had neck surgery over the offseason.

Teams also will have expanded rosters when the season gets going, likely 29 or 30 players, to ease the burden on . That should give the Sox a chance to exploit what should be a deep group.

The fewer games played this season means the fewer starts Sale will miss. It also improves the value of the Betts trade. The Dodgers gave up Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and believing they would have Betts for an entire season. They wouldn’t have made that deal for half a season.

It’s a shame there won’t be any baseball played at Fenway Park on Thursday. But it actually could work out pretty well for the Red Sox in the long .

What we miss about Opening Day at Fenway Park

Chad Finn

In our current world of necessary isolation, I finds myself longing for familiar routines, those everyday ebbs and flows of life so easily taken for granted until troubling events show up and steal them. I imagine, as we socially distance for who knows how long, that at least we are all together in this sentiment.

Thursday would have brought one of my favorite routines. Every Boston sportswriter should his or her blessings in having the privilege to cover so many extraordinary events involving our teams over the last two decades — nine Super Bowls and four World , three Stanley Cup Finals, and two NBA Finals, a dozen champions in all.

But for all of the confetti that has fluttered down on our champions over these seasons, for all of the times the duckboat engines fired up and we had ourselves a parade, there has never been anything more satisfying to me than Opening Day at Fenway Park.

Oh, the quintessential sports day in Boston is Patriots Day, with the Marathon and the traditional early Red Sox game bringing a sense of community to the city, especially since the bombings in 2013. But the most optimistic day, the sunniest day no matter the weather, is the Fenway opener.

In normal times, Thursday would have been the day for which we waited all winter. The new-look White Sox, with Edwin Encarnacion and Dallas Keuchel added to an intriguing roster, would have been in town, first at 2:05 p.m. Perhaps the Red Sox, who would have already played seven games on the road, would have made their home debut with a winning record and accompanying optimism, something that was not in abundance during spring training.

We can’t know what the game would bring, what the outcome would be, and none of the board-game simulations that are trying to fill those voids right now can properly tell us. But we do know what the routine of the day would have looked and felt and even smelled like.

Me, I would have arrived four hours before first pitch, parking in a familiar garage on Jersey Street on the opposite side of Boylston Street from the ballpark. (I wonder if the prices would have been jacked up to $65 or $70 this year; at least we don’t have to discover that yet.) Grabbing my laptop and credential, I would have walked past Blaze Pizza on the right and Tasty Burger up on the left, the five-minute walk toward the media entrance.

I would have noticed the bunting, and the enticing smell of the sausage cooking in the cart on the corner of Jersey Street and Van Ness, and maybe I would have peeked over to see who was on the NESN set next to the souvenir shop. I would have said hello to the security guards, shaking hands, and would have made mental notes on the most popular jerseys fans were wearing, especially whether any of you went with the Mookie Betts ensemble out of respect and defiance.

I miss walking up the ramp the five levels to the press box, and walking back down to go to field level to watch practice. I miss the good moods of everyone there, the optimism in the air, at least for the day. I miss that routine now, retracing all of these steps that will never happen.

Sometimes we find fool’s gold on Opening Day, such as when Carl Everett became an instant fan favorite by hitting two homers in his Fenway debut in 2000. Sometimes, the good times give way to disappointment, such as when Carlton Fisk, in his White Sox debut, homered to beat his former team in the ’81 opener.

But often, treasured memories are forged in the opener, especially when a new season begins by offering one final salute to a successful one the year before. In 2005, we savored the special ceremony that was 86 years in the making, with Carl Yastrzemski and raising the 2004 banner, Dave Roberts and returning for one last salute, and Mariano Rivera proving the most gracious of rivals.

In 2008, teary-eyed threw out the first pitch, a man who never should have required forgiveness nonetheless receiving catharsis in the form of raucous, rolling .

In 2014, the acknowledgment of the 2013 bombing tragedy and the tribute to resiliency was tonally perfect, delicate and inspiring at once.

Last season, with the Red Sox arriving home with a 3-8 record, had an odder vibe, but when that 2018 championship banner was unveiled, more good times seemed not just possible, but practically certain. (Spoiler: They weren’t.)

This was not — is not — projected to be a championship season for the Red Sox, not with Mookie in Hollywood and Chris Sale dealing with a new scar on his elbow. And there was no new banner to raise. But on Opening Day, optimism somehow would have found a way to break through the clouds.

I miss that. I miss all of that, the routine and the spectacular, and I’ll never forget to cherish every moment of Opening Day, whenever it comes around again.

Fantasy baseball: Here’s how I imagine I’d be previewing Opening Day at Fenway

Dan Shaughnessy

Stunned at being swept by the suddenly surging , the 1-6 Red Sox will face the Chicago White Sox at 2:05 p.m. Thursday in their 109th Fenway Park opener.

"It will be good to finally get back to Boston,'' Sox interim might have said after Wednesday afternoon’s 4-1 loss to the upstart Orioles. "I’m pretty sure we’ll turn this around quickly when we get home to Fenway.''

Roenicke did not identify the Sox starting for the home opener.

“Could be Austin Brice, could be , could be Heath Hembree,'' Roenicke said. "Chaim and the analytics guys will give me a name in the morning.''

Speaking of Chaim Bloom, he has turned out to be a prophet as well as a swell chief baseball officer. Back in February when the Sox made the Mookie Betts/ salary-dump trade with the Dodgers, Bloom said, “It’s reasonable to expect we’re going to be worse without [Betts and Price].”

Amen to that. One week into the 2020 season, it feels like the Sox have gone back to the bad old days of and Daddy Butch Hobson.

"People need to stop overreacting to this little speed bump at the start of the season,'' said special assistant , who will throw out Thursday’s first pitch and is expected to be in uniform in the Sox for every game this season. "These guys running our team, they know what they are doing.''

The Sox used “openers” in three of their first seven games, losing all three. Boston’s only win came in the third game of the season when lefty Martin Perez beat the Blue Jays, 12-9. Perez, who specializes in pitching to contact, gave up six runs on 12 hits in his five and is expected to start again Saturday against the White Sox at Fenway.

Just one year ago, the defending world champion Red Sox came to Fenway for a ring ceremony and boasted the reigning league MVP (Betts) and a top three in the rotation of Chris Sale, Price, and . Now Betts is hitting .400 at Chavez Ravine and Sale, Price, and Porcello are unavailable to the Sox.

Sale underwent successful Tommy John surgery and is expected to be back on the mound by June of 2021. Price was traded to the Dodgers and is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in two games with LA. Porcello, who signed a one-year deal with the Mets, is also off to a 2-0 start and — as if to rub things in — pitched his second career no-hitter last week in a Cubs win over the Brewers.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, are down to two established starters: Perez and ace lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Nathan Eovaldi, who won two games in 2019 after signing a four-year, $68 million contract, suffered an undisclosed arm injury in the first of his only start last week in . The Red Sox will not say whether Eovaldi needs surgery.

Rafael Devers (.406, three homers) and Xander Bogearts (.326) have been Boston’s best hitters thus far. Boston fans are excited about getting their first look at veteran right fielder Kevin Pillar in a Red Sox uniform. Starting second baseman Jose Peraza showed a lot of promise in the first seven games. Andrew Benintendi continues to remind people of J.D. Drew.

It’s possible that Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. have revived the annoying outfield dance at the end of victories, but since the Sox have won only a game, it’s difficult to tell.

Speaking of JBJ, the streaky outfielder who turns 30 this month is off to another slow start, batting .043 (1 for 23) with 16 , but he made a nifty in Wednesday’s joust with the Orioles.

"Jackie's figured out something with his swing and we expect him to get hot,'' said Roenicke. "Our metrics show he's been unlucky, hitting a lot of line drives that went barely foul. We like the way the ball is coming off his bat. Good exit velocity when he makes contact.''

Outfielder Alex Verdugo, the key pickup in the Betts haul, is feeling much better, according to Bloom, but is in the eighth month of his rehab from a fractured back and is still unable to play baseball.

With the Bruins and Celtics getting ready for long playoff runs, the flatline Sox are having a hard time getting ’s attention. Fans are still upset about the Betts trade and the club’s non-effort to retain the wildly popular Brock Holt. Roenicke has proven to be a bland replacement for , and ownership’s boasts about newfound “payroll flexibility” have not been a winner at the box office or in NESN’s ratings.

It didn't help when popular analyst summed up the sweep at the hands of the Orioles with his trademark, "Yuck.''

Plenty of good seats are still available Thursday, and the Sox are urging fans to arrive early. The first 15,000 through the gates will receive a David Ortiz bobblehead.

"We’re asking fans to be patient and reserve judgment,'' team chairman told the Globe. “We’re going to have some nice surprises for everybody at Fenway for the opener. Wally and will be there for the kids and we will have lots of star power.

”And there’s one more big surprise. I don’t want to give it away, but stick around for the bottom of the eighth for a special appearance. Let’s just say the good times never seemed so good, so good, so good.''

Agent Scott Boras proposes a ‘functional isolation’ plan to restart baseball

Michael Silverman

Scott Boras accepts the reality that Major League Baseball won’t begin playing games for at least another couple of months.

But that hasn’t stopped the agent from proposing his “functional isolation” idea to hasten the resumption of play as soon as the medical and scientific communities deem it to proceed.

In broad strokes, the plan would be for coronavirus-free players and staff — around 60 people per team — to gather in 30 separate bubbles of isolation at or near their spring training bases in Florida and Arizona.

No families, no visitors; the team stays in one hotel near its spring training facility, shuttles back and forth together, and eats all meals at one of the two sites.

Everyone is tested daily. Anyone who comes up positive for coronavirus is isolated until cleared.

Boras has a bachelor’s degree in industrial pharmacology and has taken a keen interest in educating himself on COVID-19 since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, last year. He doesn’t want to come across as cavalier when it comes to the mortal threat posed by the virus or suggest that there’s a rush to implement his plan.

He believes his plan is epidemiologically sound and medically safe.

Pitchers and would ramp up their workloads first, followed by position players, in a three- to four- week program. Boras said such a time span worked for MLB in 1995, when a strike ended April 2 and the season began on April 25.

“We can prepare a system that provides inspiration and do it in a responsible way that aligns with the standards of isolation," said Boras. "I think it’s something that could be considered.

“We have many entities operating — our government, our police forces — in a ’functional isolation’ manner, and I think baseball should be no different.”

Boras said the modified Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues would have an extra dash of restricted movement.

“At nights, there are no restaurants, they’re not outside,” said Boras. “They’d just have a limited amount of people they’re around. The players are going to have to agree with that so we are responsive to the protection of the spread and also following stringent isolating purposes.”

Two teams, the and , play in relatively remote locales, Port Charlotte and Port St. Lucie, Fla. They would have to endure longer bus rides than others to stay in suitable accommodations.

“Players might have to sacrifice a little bit with their isolation with where they stay," said Boras, "but they’re playing ball.”

When the players are baseball-ready, games can resume — almost certainly to be played in empty stadiums.

“With functional isolation, we would be able to titrate the game into an earlier arrival because we’re going to do it before fans can attend, but we get it on television and we are able to get more games in and have more of a competent season,” said Boras.

“But the main thing is we’re able to provide an inspirational product to America as we go through a difficult time.”

The total of regular-season games is unclear without a start date and knowing how many doubleheaders would be played, said Boras. But the season would extend through all of October, with the playoffs to take place in November at neutral sites, likely in domed stadiums.

“If we can get functional isolation going, we can get out there and get something going a little bit earlier, but I’m not ready to say we’re ready to get going with this," he said. “We need more response from the scientific community to see where we’re at.”

PawSox ballpark construction project in Worcester is halted

Alex Speier

The anticipated move of the Red Sox’ A affiliate from Pawtucket, R.I., to Worcester for the start of the 2021 season may be in jeopardy.

One day after Governor Charlie Baker extended the order for non-essential businesses in to suspend operations until at least May 4 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Worcester suspended construction on Polar Park. Construction on the ballpark — which is slated to open as the home of the WooSox for the start of the 2021 season — was suspended on Wednesday, with plans to secure the site on Thursday and Friday.

“All of us with the Worcester Red Sox recognize what a difficult and unusual time we are living in, and all of us should recognize that the health of our community, our country, and the world are what’s most important,” the Worcester Red Sox said in a statement. “We want nothing more than for Polar Park to be a point of pride for the people of Worcester and the Commonwealth — including the many local skilled construction workers who are putting their heart and soul into this ballpark. We concur with our partners that a temporary halt gives our community the best opportunity to permanently contain this destructive virus.”

It remains to be determined whether the delay will prevent Polar Park from opening on time. In mid-March, PawSox executive vice president Dan Rea said that while the construction schedule for the park was ambitious, the schedule included some flexibility, with the hope of at least a few days and possibly as much as a few weeks of time to work out any kinks in the park before the start of the 2021 campaign.

As of Wednesday night, team officials were working to figure out the implications of the delay. If the ballpark in Worcester is not ready to open for the start of the season, Pawtucket’s mayor, Donald Grebien, didn’t rule out the possibility of an arrangement that would allow the PawSox to remain in McCoy Stadium — the home of a Red Sox minor league affiliate since 1970 — into the start of 2021.

"The PawSox have a contract to the end of this year,” Grebien wrote in a text. “There are many factors that would need to be considered if they were to need an extension, including their continued commitment as good community partners."

The PawSox have planned a yearlong celebration of their 50 years in McCoy Stadium for the 2020 season, though the start of the minor league season has been suspended indefinitely amid the pandemic.

* The

Why the Red Sox would’ve been worth watching in 2020

Jason Mastrodonato

At 2:05 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox were supposed to unofficially (but officially) deliver a knockout punch to winter and welcome us to spring.

More than that, they were supposed to prove something to us.

Let’s not forget team chairman Tom Werner standing on a stage in Springfield in January, telling thousands of fans at Red Sox Winter Weekend that the Sox were going to be playoff-bound, just a month before the team traded Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers.

“I’m looking forward to the media giving us low expectations and then we’re going to be there in October,” Werner said.

Expectations were definitely low. Really low.

When spring training was settling in, before the coronavirus changed our world, I was eating dinner with some media friends in Fort Myers as we tried setting the over/under on wins for the 2020 Red Sox.

I settled on 77. The others settled around 85.

This was before Chris Sale got hurt, but there were enough injury concerns in the starting rotation already. Betts and Price were gone. Alex Verdugo was clearly not going to be ready to play.

A year earlier, the Red Sox were already a mess. It was a team overflowing with talent, but too many big names didn’t perform, many started trending downward and it was clear change was coming.

But the offseason was slow and choppy. We knew they were trading someone to clear salary — and if we knew, imagine how aware the players must’ve felt — which only left us wondering who would leave and where they’d be going.

The mistake the Red Sox made was one of messaging. John Henry didn’t help his front office in August, when he declared to the world that the Sox wanted to get under the luxury tax threshold, but it made sense from a messaging standpoint.

Get out in front of it. Tell the fans what’s really going to happen.

The problem was that the Sox didn’t stand by it. They quickly backtracked with the now famous and often- uttered line, “it’s a goal, not a mandate.” Henry said it was a media-contrived narrative. The Sox insisted they’d still be competitive. They kept saying they had World Series aspirations.

It was clearly a bunch of baloney, but it further muddied the imagery for what a 2020 season might look like.

What would’ve happened if they just leveled with the fans and said, ‘hey, like Henry said, we’re taking a step back this year to reset. But we have a lot of young talent we’re looking forward to seeing on the field. We want to get some new faces in here and try some new things. We want to see what we have in the farm system. We want to learn who will be part of the next great Red Sox team.”

It’s not an admission of defeat. A young team can still surprise. We see it happen every year. But it might’ve helped earn some trust from the fanbase and let folks start to picture a rebuilding season that they could actually get behind.

So even when the team got off to a bad start, which seemed inevitable with only three big league starters in the rotation and a top-heavy lineup without much depth, fans wouldn’t have been overly disappointed and still found reasons to keep watching.

Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are clearly cornerstone players, and they’re both under team control for years to come. It was going to be a big year to see if Andrew Benintendi would take the next step, especially taking over for Betts in the leadoff spot.

Michael Chavis had something to prove and he’s already somewhat of a fan favorite. The acrobatic Jackie Bradley Jr. was in a contract year and had a lot to play for. Darwinzon Hernandez is electric. Eduardo Rodriguez might have a 20-stikeout game or a no-hitter in his future. And maybe we’d get to see rookies Bobby Dalbec, C.J. Chatham, or Bryan Mata at some point in 2020.

One thing is always true about Red Sox fans, they show up. Even while ratings slip and interest clearly fluctuates heavily from year to year, Fenway Park is always at, or close to, capacity. People care. They love coming to Fenway. And while it seems to have become much more of a place for tourists than for locals over recent years, when the average family is getting priced out of most games, it still feels like a special place to be.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, and our country’s slow reaction to it, we’re getting robbed of that feeling we expected to have on Thursday afternoon.

But whenever baseball does return, when the gates finally re-open and we hear the “Cheers” lyrics, “you want to go where everybody knows your name,” Fenway Park will be buzzing again.

Whether the team stinks or not.

* The Providence Journal

Reworked MLB deal can affect Red Sox in many ways

Bill Koch

Jackie Bradley Jr. and might have played their final games as members of the Red Sox.

Kevin Pillar might never appear in one.

Resetting the penalties accumulated through the Collective Balance Tax, something Boston prioritized entering the 2020 season, might not happen.

The deal struck by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association on Friday was a complicated one. Owners secured short-term financial security while players protected their long-term interests, and the Red Sox are one of 30 franchises left considering how it will affect them specifically. The coronavirus pandemic has forever altered the nation’s sporting landscape and baseball is anything but immune.

Players will be paid from a pool of $170 million set aside by the owners — their annual combined salaries approach $4 billion. It’s a significant reduction in terms of what they’ll take home this year. But it also preserves something they value in equal measure to their bank accounts — service time.

All eligible players whose contracts expire will still be granted free agency regardless of how many games are completed this season. Bradley, Workman and Pillar are among the notables in Boston while Mookie Betts, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer, Trevor Bauer and James Paxton would hit the market elsewhere. The Dodgers face the real possibility of trading Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to the Red Sox and receiving only two years of work from pitcher David Price.

The service time exception extends to players who are eligible for arbitration and Boston stands to take a financial hit in a couple of areas. Chief among them is Rafael Devers, who will be eligible for the first time after being on the books for a paltry $692,500 in 2020. His salary figures to take a considerable jump thanks to his monster 2019 campaign, and players like Eduardo Rodriguez and will suddenly be entering their final season of team control in 2021.

A shortened MLB Draft would prevent the Red Sox from beefing up a farm system that remains in the sport’s bottom half. Only five rounds have been budgeted for the 2020 and 2021 editions, with undrafted free agents eligible to sign for up to just $20,000. Talented high school players figure to wait as long as possible for the bonus structure to return to normal, and Boston will be stripped of two occasions to add quality depth like Christian Vazquez (ninth round, 2008) and (seventh round, 2018).

Homegrown talent could be vital to building the Red Sox roster in 2021. Boston’s payroll currently sits at $193.8 million, per Cot’s Contracts, and the club stands to shed roughly $19 million through possible departures by Bradley, Workman and Pillar. JD Martinez could opt out of the final two years of his contract and seek a deal with a certain contender — his average annual value of $22 million would also come off the books for 2021 and 2022. Assuming Martinez stays, the Red Sox would have about $34 million available under the first threshold of the CBT — that figures to remain at $208 million.

A reconfigured schedule featuring fewer days off and doubleheaders will call for an expanded roster of up to 29 players. That allows Boston to more easily retain Rule 5 Draft selection Jonathan Arauz, and the infielder could prove to be a nice long-term addition at relatively no cost. Starting pitching remains thin without Price and the injured Chris Sale, but the extra slots could be used on bullpen pieces who will attempt to cobble together 27 outs each game.

The Red Sox also figure to learn the outcome of the MLB investigation into alleged 2018 electronic prior to the resumption of play. That could be at some point early in the summer or entering next spring. Former Boston manager Alex Cora has already departed, and any loss of suddenly limited picks over the next two seasons — similar to the four selections forfeited by the Astros for their own malfeasance — would prove harsh.

Should the Red Sox manage to reach the postseason, their fans might be forced to watch each game on television or through other outlets. Players have agreed to take the field without fans in the stands, if necessary, and any extension of the playoffs towards Thanksgiving could see cold-weather cities lose home dates to neutral sites. Boston’s climate typically doesn’t qualify as mild when the calendar approaches December.

* MassLive.com

Coronavirus: If MLB season is played, it will likely will begin with no fans in stadiums (report)

Chris Cotillo

If the MLB regular season begins, the league will likely play games in empty stadiums, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Sherman cites two league officials who believe that’s the case. “By a matter of weeks, we will be able to play games without crowds [before we can play games] with them," one official said. Another said, “I think the only way we play, at least initially, is without fans.”

MLB initially suspended spring training and indefinitely delayed the start to its season last month due to the coronavirus crisis. The league and the MLB Players Association reached a labor agreement regarding coronavirus-related issues last week but did not determine a potential date for starting the season.

The agreement states that the season can’t begin until there are no bans on mass gatherings or travel restrictions and that medical experts determine games will not pose a risk to health of teams and fans. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted, the first part of those requirements might be lifted if the league determines it makes sense to play games in neutral sites or in empty stadiums.

The league is considering a wide variety of creative scenarios as it looks to accomplish its goal of playing as many games as possible in 2020. Late last month, commissioner Rob Manfred expressed hope that players could start gearing up for a season as early as mid-May, though that timeline might be a little optimistic considering the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in the .

MLB should embrace shortened 2020 season, experiment with , banning shifts etc.

Matt Vautour

Baseball is missing both the point and an opportunity. As part of the deal between MLB and the players, as well as in proposals by Scott Boras and others, everyone is committed to playing as many regular-season games as possible even if that means a neutral-site postseason and games into November and December to replace those canceled by coronavirus concerns.

That’s the wrong move. For starters, there’s a real risk of the virus resurfacing. That alone makes this smart to avoid. But more than that, a one-time shortened season is good for the longterm health of the sport.

All sports are going to benefit from huge interest when they come back. People will be so eager to embrace the return to a semblance of normalcy that every game will feel special. Baseball should take advantage.

The purists are right that a 70-90 game season doesn’t fairly present who is and isn’t a championship- caliber baseball team. That’s true but too bad. This is a strange year and after what’s likely to be thousands upon thousands of deaths nationwide, securing a perfect season isn’t that important.

Instead, baseball should embrace this year as unusual and try every possible innovation in a live laboratory with the understanding that nothing is permanent. After the season everything will be discussed and evaluated. What do the players, fans and management like and what didn’t work?

Some things they should try:

Outlaw shifts or adjust the rules for them - Will baseball more fun to watch if teams can’t overload one side of the ? Let’s find out.

Pitch clock - There’s a good chance that many pitchers, except for David Price, will realize that speeding things up isn’t as horrible as they fear it will be. It will certainly help the and length of games that are dragging down the sport’s popularity. Baseball is headed for this anyway. This gives pitchers and opportunity to try it and offer real experienced feedback.

Robot umps - This was going to be studied during spring training already. With spring abbreviated, try it live.

DH in both leagues - fans can see that if having one more competent hitter is more exciting than switches.

Seven-inning doubleheaders - There’d be way too much push back to making all games two innings shorter, but if they’re trying to cram more games into a short calendar, this would prevent rosters from being overtaxed.

Expanded rosters - They’re already talking about 29 players per team early on. Especially with the possibility of doubleheaders why not keep it at least 29 all season.

Electronic signs - Since sign-stealing by the Astros, and to a lesser degree the Red Sox, badly stained baseball during the offseason, MLB should do what it could have done years ago and implement simple technology that could electronically send a sign from either the catcher or the dugout, undetectably to the pitcher.

Runner on second base to start the 12th inning - Play the first two extra frames normally and then increase the possibility of scoring in the 12th (or the 10th in a seven-inning ).

Three-batter minimum for relievers - This is already happening, but this could be tinkered with too. Something like giving managers one timeout, they can use to lift a reliever before he’s reached his three- man minimum.

Eliminate the rule - For years, smart baseball people have said that an outdated rule has changed the way teams utilize their to the detriment of the game. So eliminate it for a year and see what changes.

Mic the players - Baseball is lacking recognizable stars, whose personalities resonate with fans. Putting microphones on the players will make them more relatable.

6 p.m. starts - If baseball is lasting so long that kids can’t stay up and watch games, why not start earlier? Will more people watch on TV? Buy tickets? Find out.

Two best of five series followed by a seven-game World Series - Again. Small window. This is just practical for 2020.

All of these have long been talked about and argued hypothetically. Some of them will turn out to be great. Others could be awful. This is a chance to find out. They can and should bring everything back to normal for the postseason the same way the NHL does 3-on-3 overtimes followed by shootouts in the regular season and scraps that during the playoffs.

A shortened schedule makes every game more impactful and every elite pitcher more valuable. Teams will be motivated to win a single August game much more. In front of increased eyeballs, that’s a good thing. Pennant races are likely to be tighter with less time for teams to pull away. That might mean the best team is less likely to win. That’s OK for this year.

Assuming fans are back, and if they aren’t it’s obviously a different story, it’s way better to have postseason baseball in home parks than in warm weather or domed stadiums. A neutral-site World Series is a terrible idea. You might get fans in San Diego or Miami to show up for a potential clinching game, but are fans without a rooting interest really going to buy tickets to Game 2?

Plus the deeper the season goes the more it’s getting overshadowed by meaningful football. Nobody is thinking about baseball at Thanksgiving.

Embrace the short season. For one year, it’s good for the game.

MLB Opening Day on Fourth of July? It’s an option that has been 'floated’ as season remains on hold because of coronavirus pandemic (report)

Christopher Smith

Opening Day on the Fourth of July? It’s possible.

Los Angeles Times baseball writer Bill Shaikin reported via , “In MLB circles, July 4 has been one of the options floated for a possible Opening Day.”

The Red Sox are scheduled to play in Pittsburgh on July 4, which falls on a Saturday.

It’s difficult to speculate when the season will resume. MLB suspended operations indefinitely last month because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, MLB canceled the Cubs and Cardinals’ London Series because of the coronavirus outbreak. The two rival teams initially were scheduled to play in London on June 13-14.

Teams will need at least three or four more weeks of spring training when MLB resumes. Starting pitchers specifically need that time to ramp up.

Fewer than 10 Red Sox players remain in Fort Myers. The Red Sox announced March 24 that they shut down the complex for two weeks after an unnamed minor leaguer tested positive for COVID-19.

* The Portland Press Herald

Baseball should embrace experimentation when play resumes

Tom Caron

With no sports being played, we’ve been spending a lot of time looking back. Twitter feuds are being fought over the greatest team, season or stadium of all time. NESN and sports networks around the world are showing classic games and helping us relive those great moments.

What’s there to look forward to?

At some point, there will be games. And last week baseball hinted that it might not be anything like business as usual.

MLB and the MLBPA reached an agreement that covered a lot of ground like service time and payments in the case of a shortened or nonexistent 2020 season. It’s the nonexistent idea that scares us. We all want sports back sooner rather than later.

It will take some creativity to make that happen. And both sides indicated they are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Virtually everything is on the table at this point: shortened-game doubleheaders, games at neutral sites, and games played in empty ballparks.

It is highly unlikely this will be a 162-game season. One of the surprising bits of information to come from the agreement (although it is not specified in writing) is that baseball would like pick up the schedule where it stands when the time comes. That makes a lot of sense since the dates are saved and take into consideration travel needs and specific happenings in certain cities.

That’s where the doubleheaders could be important. If you are picking up the schedule as is, some teams will have to add games to even out the schedule, or add games against divisional opponents to even out the competitive balance of the schedule. Slapping on a second game to some of those dates makes it a lot easier to do that.

Additionally, there is more talk of playing games in empty ballparks. Athletes in all sports originally balked at this idea. But that was before we all sat around the house for weeks on end trying to find something to watch. Our national obsession with the Tiger King and Joe Exotic makes it clear that there would be a robust viewing audience for sports when they return. Even if there isn’t a crowd going wild at the stadium or ballpark.

“Players want to play,’’ MLBPA Chief Tony Clark told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “That’s what we do. Being able to get back on the field and being able to play, even if that means their fans are watching at home.”

That’s been the biggest difference since sports shut down three weeks ago. We now realize that sheltering- in-place makes us crave sports even more.

Of all professional sports, baseball has resisted change the most over the years. Embracing experimentation might allow the game to get back on the field sooner rather than later. We need the distraction now more than ever.

* RedSox.com

What's the most memorable Fenway opener?

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- Thursday would have been the 109th home opener at Fenway Park. Instead, that special occasion will have to come once the 2020 MLB season begins following the indefinite delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But let’s try to provide some good vibes on what would have been the Red Sox's big day by taking a look back at the 10 most memorable Fenway openers in the last 40 years.

We will start with the most recent and work our way backward.

April 5, 2018 -- Red Sox 3, Rays 2 (12 innings)

Key moments: The Sox entered the bottom of the ninth, down 2-0. With two outs and still down by a run, Xander Bogaerts smashed a game-tying double off the to force extras. … In the 12th, Hanley Ramirez sent everyone home happy on a frigid day with a walk-off single to deep right.

Top performance: David Price fired seven shutout innings, setting the tone for the best season he would have in Boston.

April 8, 2013 -- Red Sox 3, Orioles 1

Key moment: Just like they would five years later, the Red Sox set the tone for a dramatic and championship-winning season with high drama in the first home game of the year. With the game locked in a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh, Daniel Nava roped a three-run homer over the Monster against Wei-Yin Chen.

Top performance: was brilliant from the mound, firing seven shutout innings while allowing three hits and striking out eight.

April 4, 2010 -- Red Sox 9, Yankees 7

Key moments: Excitement filled the air before the game even started, as recently retired Pedro Martinez walked in from behind the Green Monster and fired the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate , who was still active at the time. It was the first time Martinez had put on a Red Sox jersey in front of the fans since his final season with the team in 2004. … The game itself developed into a typical Red Sox-Yankees thriller. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, smashed a game-tying, two-run homer against Chan Ho Park.

Top performance: was in the middle of everything in this one, scoring three times and ripping three hits, including a double and a triple. He drove in three.

April 8, 2008 -- Red Sox 5, Tigers 0

Key moment: Winners of two World Series championships in the previous four seasons, Red Sox fans could finally stop harping about collapses of past years. In that spirit, Bill Buckner surprised the fans by returning to Fenway and throwing out the first pitch to former teammate Dwight Evans. As Buckner walked in from the outfield, the crowd erupted with an overwhelming ovation that left the former first baseman in tears.

Top performances: In what would be the best season of his six-year run with the Red Sox, held the Tigers to four hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. … Youkilis had another big performance in a home opener, going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

April 11, 2005 -- Red Sox 8, Yankees 1

Key moment: It was the ring ceremony Red Sox fans waited 86 years for. And it took place on a sun- splashed day at Fenway with emotions flowing from the back row of the bleachers all the way to the home dugout. Who can ever forget the sight of Johnny Pesky and Carl Yastrzemski raising the championship flag together in center field? During pregame introductions, Yankees Mariano Rivera, who uncharacteristically blew two saves against Boston in the ’04 Championship Series, received a mock standing ovation. Rivera laughed as he ran out to the field and playfully tipped his cap to the Boston fans.

Top performances: Once the game started, the Red Sox delivered. Knuckleballer went seven strong innings (five hits, no earned runs) for the win. … Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli smashed a two-run homer in the second against Mike Mussina and the Red Sox led for the rest of the day.

April 6, 2001 -- Red Sox 11, Devil Rays 4

Key moment: Though 2001 would wind up being one of the most disappointing the Red Sox have had in the 21st century, there was great hope coming in thanks to the signing of to an eight-year, $160 million contract. Ramirez’s at-bats at Fenway became must-see events from the very first one he took as a Red Sox player at that home opener in ’01. In the bottom of the first, with Boston already trailing, 3-0, Ramirez offered at the first pitch he saw and hammered it over the Green Monster for a game-tying, three- run shot. It was quite an entrance for a player who would create many memorable moments – including another 273 homers -- over the next eight seasons.

Top performance: While Ramirez carried the day with his , Jose Offerman added three hits from the No. 2 spot in the order. … The invaluable Wakefield came on in relief of a shaky Tomo Ohka and struck out five over three innings to earn the win.

April 10, 1998 -- Red Sox 9, Mariners 7

Key moment: In their second season under manager , the Red Sox would be led by two fearsome middle-of-the-order hitters in and . For Vaughn, everyone knew that ’98 could possibly be his last as a Red Sox, as he would be entering free agency at the end of the season. With a vintage Randy Johnson striking out 15 over eight brilliant innings, the Sox trailed, 7-2, entering the ninth. But with Seattle’s bullpen in those days, no lead was safe.

By the time Vaughn strode to the plate, Fenway was in an absolute frenzy -- the Sox down by only at two this point. On a 1-0 pitch from lefty Paul Spoljaric, Vaughn took a powerful swing and curled the ball down the line in right for a walk-off that turned Fenway into an absolute madhouse. Not long after Vaughn crossed home and was swarmed by teammates, a large collection of fans chanted, “Sign Mo now!”. That never ended up happening and Vaughn signed with the Angels as a free agent in November. But in his final Fenway opener, he created an ever-lasting memory.

Top performance: This day belonged entirely to Vaughn, who struck out in his first three at-bats, only to deliver against Spoljaric when it mattered most. Vaughn’s last season in Boston was one of his best, as he hit .337 with 40 homers and 115 RBIs.

April 26, 1995 -- Red Sox 9, Twins 0

Key moment: This one was memorable simply because it was a day Red Sox fans had to wait a long time for. On Aug. 12, 1994, there was a baseball strike that took 232 days to resolve. There was finally baseball at Fenway Park again on April 26, 1995, and fans packed into the old ball yard on a beautiful spring day. Mike Greenwell’s RBI single in the second broke a scoreless tie -- marking the first time a Red Sox player had crossed home plate in more than eight months.

Top performances: Greenwell went 4-for-5 with two RBIs. … Aaron Sele fired five shutout innings for the win. … Vaughn smashed a double as part of a two-hit day that included three RBIs. He would be named AL MVP that season.

April 4, 1988 -- Tigers 5, Red Sox 3 (10 innings)

Key moment: Not every memorable home opener can be a win. Some stick out because they were agonizing defeats. This one qualifies. The Red Sox were thrilled in the offseason to be able to acquire top closer from the Cubs for and . The game started as a compelling duel between and Jack Morris, both going nine innings before the game went into extras knotted at 3. On came Smith in the 10th for his first chance to showcase his dominance for his new team. Instead, Alan Trammell took him deep for a two-run homer over the Monster that wound up as the difference in the game.

The headline in the next day’s Boston Herald, “Wait till next year," was humorous, if nothing else. The ’88 Sox actually wound up having a strong season and won the AL East, backed by the thrilling days of “Morgan’s Magic” in July.

Top performances: Hard to remember by now, but Brady Anderson started his career with the Red Sox. This was his first game with the club, and he went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot. … Clemens struck out 11 and threw 135 pitches. Imagine a pitcher in this era throwing 135 pitches on Opening Day?

April 10, 1981 -- White Sox 5, Red Sox 3

Key moment: The Red Sox were unable to re-sign catcher Carlton Fisk due to an embarrassing clerical -- they didn’t mail him a contract offer by the deadline. Fisk wound up signing with the White Sox that offseason, and Fenway Park just happened to be where Chicago played its first game of the ’81 season. With the White Sox down, 2-0, with one out in the top of the eighth, Fisk stepped up and silenced Fenway with a three-run homer against that went over the Monster. It was the start of a trend in which Fisk would frequently haunt the Red Sox. He had 27 homers against his former team in 107 games to go along with a .967 OPS -- his best against any opponent.

Top performance: Dennis Eckersley certainly pitched well enough to win, holding the White Sox to two runs over seven innings and striking out seven.

* WEEI.com

The price of no Fenway opener? The end of an epic streak.

Rob Bradford

Just about 32 years ago a group of freshmen at Westfield State unwittingly started a tradition.

Gary Trask, Neal Dempsey and Wayne Fox thought it might be a good idea to head into Boston for Opening Day at Fenway Park back in 1988. So the threesome ventured to Trask’s sister house in Braintree the night before to play some poker as a warm-up for that first Red Sox game of the season, meeting up with Trask's cousin, Dom Loiacano.

The next thing they knew 6 a.m. became 7 a.m. which ultimately led to heading over to Landsdowne St. with four tickets and no sleep. For the four men that became a thing that they looked forward to each and every year after watching Lee Smith give up a 10th-inning home run. This season was going to be no exception.

“I’m sure there will be some texts going out. We shouldn't be here, we should be there,” Trask said. “It's one of those things where everybody is in a good mood. There has been a lot of laughs. A lot of shenanigans over the years.”

The group — which were scheduled to be joined by eight more friends and family this time around — aren’t exactly blindsided by the news that there will be no Opening Day at Fenway Park as scheduled Thursday. We have seen this coming for a few weeks now. But when they look at those tickets which were already mailed to each address the reality will likely set in.

For the first time since they were seniors in high school, the four 50-year-old’s will not have the first day at Fenway experience that was always a highlight in their year.

“It's cool,” noted Trask. “I don't get emotional with that stuff, but I do every year when I walk in on Opening Day when I walk up those bleachers and walk up those steps and start seeing the green and we've been whooping it up for a few hours and we're all feeling pretty good and we get the seats with your buddies. Unfortunately some of these guys this is the only time I see them. But every year I know I'm going to see them on Opening Day.”

The actual games or the teams and playing in them have always been a small part of the equation. The tales that come with everything about the experience is what sticks.

Something as seemingly mundane as securing the tickets, for instance.

When they first started out the application would come in the Sunday newspaper. It would be cut out, filled out and faxed in, hoping that the process worked. Thankfully for the group, it did. Then came what Trask calls that “Goddamn virtual waiting room” when the team was really hot, which ultimately led to recent times. “The last few years,” he said, “it hasn’t been difficult to get tickets.”

Throughout the 31 years the group has tried to abide by their routine.

The all-night poker game lasted for years, as did the annual pregame meal at the Beacon St. bar Father’s Too. “They used to have self serve hot dogs for 50 cents that you would take on the honor system,” Trask said. “That place was legendary.”

The seats? Always the bleachers. That has been non-negotiable.

“If you gave me front row tickets behind home plate I would still sit in the bleachers on Opening Day,” the longtime journalist said. “It's more of an event than watching the game.”

There was the time the game was rained out so they went to watch the Master’s until 8 p.m. ultimately heading home to tell wives and girlfriends this was going to be a two-day commitment because the opener may be a day later, but that didn’t mean it was going to be missed.

Or when the group decided to chase the 1990 opener at Fenway with a trip over to the Boston Garden where the Bruins were playing the Whalers in postseason hockey. The problem was that because of all the in-game imbibing they hadn’t prioritized some important details, as was discovered when told their tickets were counterfeit.

There are, however, memories made inside Fenway, as well, even if it took a few years for the group to fully grasp that part of the experience.

“The one true memory of actually being at the game was in 2005 when raising that first banner,” Trask said. “I'm not the type of guy who gets emotional at that type of stuff. I have it in perspective. But to be standing there and to actually see a World Series pennant go up after years of heartbreak and being told they were never going to win it by my grandfather, that was pretty cool.

“(Before) you anticipated who was going to be booed and who was going to be cheered. That was about it.”

For the time being all they will have are the memories, and the hope they can reconvene a few months later than normal. And if that first game has no fans in attendance?

“Maybe we'll break down the door at the old Father’s,” Trask joked. “There are probably some old hot dogs still sitting around.”

* The Athletic

How I’d fix baseball if I were MLB commissioner

Chad Jennings

Let me be clear, I do not want to be the commissioner of baseball. But it was suggested this week that I offer a few ideas in case someone wants me to take the job. It’s the kind of suggestion that comes around when there’s no real baseball, and we’re all looking for something to talk between at-home Netflix binge sessions. So, here are 10 thoughts.

No in-game video J.D. Martinez will have my head on a pike, but we can speed up games and take away some of the illegal technological gamesmanship by simply removing in-game video altogether. Study video before and after, but no live feed to the dugout or clubhouse during a game. Managers who call for replay do so based on what they saw in the moment. We’re trying to eliminate the most egregious calls, anyway. Don’t pause the game every time a play is remotely close. Or better yet, have a replay umpire assigned to each game to make the call from a booth in the stadium.

A hitter feels something wrong with his swing? A pitcher gets a little off with his mechanics? Go to the coaches. Talk to teammates. Sort it out between innings or between the lines. Check the video after. The game has run wild with technology, which has enhanced our understanding and helped players unlock their potential. Embrace that data input 20 hours each day, but when the game starts, leave it up to the players, the coaches and the scouting reports.

Limit the defensive shift Shifting is great. It’s smart. It’s effective. It rewards teams that have studied the data and unearthed hitter tendencies (which are, essentially, hitter weaknesses). But we’ve also seen the unintended consequences of fewer balls in play and less action on the field. Don’t ban the shift, because it’s a credit to some of our smartest baseball thinkers, but let’s acknowledge it’s taken away some of the fundamentally appealing elements of the sport.

Two infielders on each side of second base would be one place to start. Shift, but don’t over-shift. Give those pull-happy hitters a little bit of a window so that they don’t have to think fly ball or nothing. One caveat: Outfielders can do whatever they want. Want to add a third infielder on the left side? Play the left fielder extremely shallow and shift the center fielder and right fielder to the gaps. Get creative. Over- shifting to one side of the infield is no longer creative. It’s par for the course.

But I’ll offer my own counterargument: I wonder if the next wave of young hitters who grew up with the shift will be better equipped to beat it, rendering my argument useless.

Keep the divide I grew up following a National League team, and when I began covering the American League more than a decade ago, people told me I would finally see the designated hitter creates a superior brand of baseball. I still don’t see it.

It’s probably a losing battle at this point, but I appreciate the value of a strong bench in the National League. It comes into play every game. I like the decision about whether to remove a pitcher when he’s at 90 pitches and due to bat in the sixth inning. I do appreciate the designated hitter — especially that it extends some great careers — so what I’ve finally seen is the value of two different sets of rules.

Why do we need the National League and American League to be the same? Keep them slightly different. It’s an American League advantage in AL parks and a National League advantage in NL parks. It creates 15 jobs for hitters who shouldn’t play the field, and it keeps 15 jobs for versatile fielders who probably can’t hit enough to play every day. If we can’t all agree on which version is best, why choose?

All-Star Game tweaks If the All-Star Game means nothing, then every position player should play. It’s not realistic for every pitcher to get an inning, but there should be nothing holding back a manager from getting every position player an at-bat or an inning in the field. One player from each team can now return to the game if necessary, but why stop there? Allow limitless substitutions. Put different combinations on the field. Let two former teammates get one inning together. Let every catcher get behind the plate. Showcase the game and its athletes without the necessary restraints of real competition.

And while we’re at it, add one All-Star roster spot in each league for veteran players heading toward retirement or another ceremonial achievement. It’s an exhibition and a celebration. Who would be upset in a few years to see out there one last time? Or to have seen CC Sabathia on the American League roster last year? The All-Star Game should be a celebration. Treat it that way.

Keep the wild-card game Every time it’s been suggested baseball add playoff teams, I’ve been against it. And every time, I’ve been wrong. The wild card added a most-welcome round of playoff games and added possibility to the end of each season. The second wild card was even better because it created the wild-card game.

Whatever the league does with playoffs in the future, just keep the one-game wild card. It’s brilliant. An instant dose of Game 7 drama to kick off the playoffs without forcing every other team to wait too long to get started. And these are wild-card teams. They should face a significant disadvantage for not winning their division. The crapshoot of a single game does that while adding winner-take-all drama that a long season almost always lacks.

No more Indians and Braves This isn’t about whether I’m bothered by the names. The fact many Native American groups have made clear how they feel should be enough. And for further reading, here’s an old USA Today story about the historical context of some of these team names.

Really, I don’t see the downside to changing the names. It doesn’t require erasing history, just acknowledging that we’ve made choices along the way that could have been better. One variation on a suggestion from my colleague Steve Buckley: Wouldn’t it be cool to change the to the Cleveland Buckeyes to embrace the legacy of the Negro League team of the same name? Also, congratulations to Cleveland and Atlanta on the opportunity to make a ton of money selling all those new T-shirts and hats.

More day games Everyone seems to make this argument, and there seem to be financial arguments against it, but baseball’s a summer game and should be played in the sunshine.

I liked doubleheaders as a kid, but I understand why teams and players hate them. So, I won’t suggest bringing those back. But surely there’s a way to play some more day games during the week, and almost all day games on the weekends. Saturday and Sunday games often start at 1 p.m., but it should be a fairly extreme situation that pushes any of them to the nighttime. I’ll allow for a Sunday night game that’s nationally broadcast, but even that shouldn’t start at 8 p.m. Start the late Sunday game at 5 or 6 and let people eat dinner in the middle of the game or get home at a decent hour if they bring their kids.

Speaking of kids, can we get some World Series games my kids can actually watch all the way to the end?

All the bat flips you can handle Strikeouts and home runs are the most emphatic acts of one-on-one dominance that can happen in a baseball game. Let the victor have his moment. If guys start flipping bats on meaningless wall-scrapers or pumping fists after routine punchouts, they’re going to look stupid and the game will let them know.

But big moments? A 10-pitch at-bat that ends in a tying homer? A full-count swung at and missed to leave the bases loaded? The more emotion the better. This is entertainment after all. Those who choose to remain stoic will be celebrated for it. You know they will. But those who want to should bat flip. Those integrity-of-the-game arguments grow tired when they come with an embrace of at a hitter’s neck or cleats into a second baseman’s thigh.

Regular updates on the state of baseball This wouldn’t have to be much, but weekly statements or regular video messages would let the commissioner discuss the issues of the day and control his own messaging. And if the commissioner speaks more often, you can bet the players association will speak as well. Especially at a time when CBA negotiations are pivotal, a more engaged commissioner would lead to a better-informed fan base.

Even at a time like this, when the league surely doesn’t know what’s going to happen next, what would it hurt to have the commissioner acknowledge that uncertainty? The more engagement the better.

Fewer minor-league teams This one is complicated. I don’t feel good suggesting it or supporting it, but here’s why I wasn’t upset when news broke of potential minor-league contraction: It would be a more honest way to go about it.

Last year, found that 17.6 percent of drafted-and-signed players actually make it to the major leagues. Of those, only 9.8 percent manage even a 0.1 WAR (meaning less than 10 percent do enough to stick around and have an actual big-league career).

Given the odds, it feels like false hope to put this many young people into a minor-league system to chase a future that exists for so few of them. Cutting back on minor-league affiliates would give young players a more realistic view of what’s in front of them. It would make independent leagues more viable for those who want to take a chance on themselves and chase those long odds. It would give minor-league players a better economic argument for higher salaries.

To be clear, I think scouts and player development personnel try to do what’s right for those kids. They want to see the 20th-round picks make it. But the more players they cram into a system, the less likely it becomes that any one of them will actually break through and make it.