“Guess Who’s (Maybe) Back”

Call it ‘Summer Camp’. ‘Spring Training 2.0’..  The ‘Player Pool’… So as long as you can call it ⚾Baseball⚾. Heck 👊MMA👊 funny man Tommy Toe Hold summed it up pretty good saying “it goes Food, Shelter, SPORTS 😉". "That’s the F’n Maslow-Hierarchy, I’m pretty F’n sure 😅". 

Major League Baseaball has a report date this coming Wednesday for players who will participate in a shortened 60 Game Season beginning later this month (maybe 😬). That’s assuming enough guys don’t test positive for the Coronavirus when they walk through the door, or during the Season, or as it gets close to Playoff time… But you have to give it the old country try, it only makes business sense, right🤔?!

After a long dispute between MLB and its Players’ Union (a dispute that never got settled, as Commissioner Rob Manfred used a contractual-right, and personally implemented this short Season), it could very well be convenient for “established” Major Leaguers to want to sit it out in 2020. Let me explain.

 

Players who participate this year will make their full pro-rated salaries during the 60 Game Schedule, as well as receive a full years worth of Service-Time. There will also be, and should be, accommodations for Players who don't play but the League considers “high risk”. That could be someone who is expecting a child, has a new born at home, or someone who has higher health risks as an individual including a postive Covid-19 test. These particular players will also be making their full pro-rated salaries and be granted service time (which counts for a full year even with only 60 games being played) without actually playing. Different from the players who the League does not consider “high risk” and do not play. 

These individuals will not make any mula this year if they were to sit out due to health concerns on their own. Nor will they have this year counted as a service year. So I ask a question that no one in the media has brought up?!  Wouldn’t it be an incentive for a Ballplayer making in the tens of millions to sit out this year purposely, a 60 game season in which you make the pro-rated, so long as he still has the very same 'service year' next season, and can earn his entire year's salary with the hopes they can play all 162 in 2021 🤔? 

Furthermore you would  be penalizing the guys who actually play during the Pandemic in 2020?? A lot of questions that baseball still has to answer.

Speaking of questions my Marlins are in the midst of finalizing the up to 60 Player list each Team can bring on Wednesday when preparations get underway for the Season. Only 30 Players can be active once Games begin, but the extra spots can be used on top-prospects looking to get them practice reps during this lost year, as well as emergency guys if and when key players test positive for the Corona. 

Almost all of the Non-Roster Invitees the Fish had during the Spring are on the return list with the exclusion of some interesting exceptions. Matt Kemp whom the Marlins signed to a Minor League deal during the Winter, was not added, pretty much ending his very short lived Marlin tenure. As well as guys like Pat Venditte and Christian Lopes, who don’t have a glorified past like Kemp’s, but were having very solid Springs (I really thought Venditte fit well in this Marlins Bullpen). But you just never know what’s in store with this crazy short Season that may or may not be ahead. Guys won’t make it for 1 reason or another and that reason may have absolutely nothing to do with Baseball!