104 The health and safety protocols agreed upon by Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association on Monday night are similar to what they were during the 2020 season, but with a few twists.
Players, similar to their counterparts in the NFL and NBA, will wear sensors enabling clubs to monitor social distancing and conduct contact tracing if an individual tests positive. And, unlike last season, the first played during the COVID-19 pandemic, they will be subject to potential discipline for violating the protocols, including suspensions or forfeiture of salary if they miss time.
Many of the changes the league and union adopted for the 60-game season in 2020, including seven-inning doubleheaders and a new extra-inning rule will remain in effect.
Let’s take the MLBPA statement point by point.
Late last week, the MLBPA for the first time this offseason received a proposal from MLB to delay Spring Training and Opening Day by approximately one month.
The fact that it took this long into the offseason for there to be any sort of proposal to change the schedule is frustrating in its own right, but that MLB owners made their offer with less than three weeks before spring training reporting dates made for a potential logistical nightmare. As an agent noted on Sunday:
Hundreds of players are reporting to AZ and FL in the next 7-10 days. They already booked and paid for housing.