MLB season delayed

Mike Leake Opts Out Of 2020 Season

Leake, 32, was in the final season of a five-year, $80MM contract originally signed with the Cardinals — although he’s since been traded to Seattle and then Arizona. He’d have earned a prorated $16MM salary this season — about $5.5MM — and had a $5MM buyout on an option for the 2021 season. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Leake will not be paid in 2020, which suggests that his decision is not due to concerns about his own health but rather the health of close-proximity family and loved ones. Under the agreement reached between the league and union last week, only players who are deemed high-risk themselves are entitled to receive salary and service time after opting out.

 

WTF? But, must make up lost revenues to not pay the players.

 

Ryan Zimmerman also opts out.

Career probably over.

 

Interesting.
Does this mean the Kung Flu really exists? That can't be true. Zimmerman swore his allegiance to Trump in a post-Series ceremony at the White House, located only a few blocks from the Walgreens' home park, which hosted a GOP event in 2018. Is the hero of the previously underachieving Walgreens' title run now daring to disavow his lord and savior?

 

In terms of this year's team, Joe Ross opting out probably hurts more. The Z-man is pretty replaceable.

 

Probably will be a dozen or more players opt out, for smart reasons.

Players report Wednesday. Full workouts Friday. Pretty pivotal week to see if they can get started in the first place. I’m sure privately MLB officials would be happy to have the 5 present positive rate the NBA just had.

 

If I'm a team official, I"m hoping for ≤5% or ≥50%. Clarity is king.

 

And on the eve of Bobby Bonilla Day, there's this:

 

Mike Trout may be the litmus test. Choose to stay with his pregnant wife or chase this asterisk of a "season" with everything crumbling around it? If he bails, why would any well-paid vet buy into this shamockery?

As soon as they closed spring training back in March, I was ready to write this one off. Four weeks from "re-opening day" and I still feel there's less than a 50-50 chance any team sport based in North America plays meaningful games before the end of the calendar year. Pro. College. Even high school. I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I don't believe it.

 

I am skeptical any of the major pro or college sports will have a season

 

I agree.

And WELCOME BACK!