Cactus League Suggests Delay to Spring Training; Players Support MLB Plan

Teams are scheduled to open spring training in Arizona on Feb. 17.

There, however, is no guarantee.

Officials from the Cactus Leagues and cities in the Valley of the Sun that host spring training for 15 of the 30 Major League teams have asked MLB to push back the start of spring training because of a high COVID-19 infection rate that is expected to remain through at least mid-March. The 15 other teams hold spring training in Florida.

The Cactus League released a letter dated Friday, which was attributed to officials from the eight cities that host spring training facilities in addition to the Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which operates Salt River Fields, where the Rockies and Diamondbacks training.

MLB was non-comital in a response issued Monday.

“As we have previously said publicly,” a statement read, “we will continue to consult with public health authorities, medical experts, and the Players Association whether any schedule modifications to the announced start of Spring Training and the Championship Season should be made in light of the current COVID-19 environment to ensure the safety of the players, coaches, umpires, MLB employees and other gameday personnel in a sport that plays every day.”

The MLBPA made it’s feelings known on twitter:

There, however, has been suggestions within MLB in recent weeks that it might be wise to push the start of spring training back to late March, with a delayed start to the regular season. Unlike a year ago, however, when team’s played only 60 games, it would be possible that MLB could follow the 144-game schedule used in 1995 when spring training was delayed until April 1 because of a players’ strike that began on Aug. 12, 1994, and forced cancellation of the World Series..