Minor League Baseball won’t go through with its 2020 season. The news was confirmed on Tuesday in an official statement.
According to The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL), which governs the minor leagues, the decision was influenced by coronavirus pandemic and the decision not to allow fans to stadiums. The clubs in minors don’t have broadcasting deals, and according to NAPBL’s president Pat O’Conner, the 90 percent of their revenue comes from stadium-related incomes like ticket sales, parking, concessions, and advertising.
“We are a fans-in-the-stands business. We don’t have national TV revenues,” said O’Conner during a conference call with reporters. “There was a conversation at one point: Well, can we play without fans? And that was one of the shortest conversations in the last six months. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
The decision to cancel the 2020 season shouldn’t jeopardize the long-term future of minor leagues, as NAPBL said in its official statement that they will immediately shift their focus on planning an “exciting 2021 season.“
This decision is set to have a big effect on not just the teams, who will miss out on yearly revenue, but also a thousand players who won’t have a team to play for in 2020. However, MLB teams previously decided to stipend those players on a weekly level through July and possibly beyond that.
MLB teams will also get to add 30 more players to their roster as a “taxi-squad.” These players will get to step in case of injuries or illnesses.
MLB 2020 season is set to kick off with an Opening Day scheduled for July 24th, while the majority of teams will enter “spring training” in the coming days.
