LM Otero/Associated Press
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly of the belief that there will be a 2020 MLB season despite the coronavirus pandemic.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Manfred recently told MLB staffers: "I fully anticipate baseball will return this season."
As a result of Manfred's comment, more than half of the 30 MLB teams committed to paying their baseball operations staffs through at least the end of May, per Passan.
The 2020 MLB regular season had been set to begin March 26, but after the NBA and NHL suspended their seasons because of COVID-19, MLB followed suit by shutting down spring training.