In addition to Major League Baseball and the Players Association needing to resolve a disagreement over the economic plan for a potential 2020 regular season, the two sides additionally are looking to come to an agreement on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and other safety protocols.
MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has previously made it clear players would not return to the field until sufficient testing was readily available and a vaccine was in place. Of those two requirements, the latter doesn’t figure to be easily obtained or in circulation until some time next year.
Meanwhile, MLB is said to have struck a deal with a Utah lab that will be able to satisfy the league’s demands for testing without placing a strain on public resources.