The Daily Chop: MLB sets parameters for potential return, Leo Mazzone and more

More details of Major League Baseball’s agreement with the MLB Players Association emerged on Friday including parameters for when resumption of play might occur. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the season won’t begin until there are no longer bans on mass gatherings that limit the ability to play in front of fans, there are no travel restrictions and medical experts determine that games will not pose a risk to the health of teams and fans.

Passan also states that the players and the league will consider playing games at neutral sites and will also consider the feasibility of playing in empty stadiums should that be a proper solution. With the agreement, rosters will temporarily frozen at 12 p.m. on Saturday according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Roster movement will be reinstated once a new Opening Day has been scheduled. Nightengale also reports that if the season is able to begin later this summer then teams are expected to be allowed expanded 29-man rosters for the first month.

Braves News

Thanks to everyone that sent in questions for Friday’s mailbag. We received a lot of good questions including a couple on Mike Foltynewicz and Dansby Swanson. We will do another one again soon.

Wayne Cavadi continued his prospect retrospective on Friday with a look at Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones who are two of the most decorated Braves prospects ever.

Anthony Castrovince breaks down a debate that is sure to rage on throughout the next decade. If you could pick just one player, would you take Ronald Acuña Jr. or Juan Soto?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Gabe Burns recently caught up with former pitching coach Leo Mazzone and asked him about Atlanta’s new young pitching duo of Mike Soroka and Max Fried.

MLB.com’s Zachary Silver names five NL East players who could be ready to break through with their first All-Star worthy season. Shortstop Dansby Swanson gets the nod for Atlanta with Silver adding that he needs to keep progressing at the plate while avoiding the injury bug.

MLB.com’s Will Leitch and Mike Petriello got together and drafted the last 25 World Series winning teams. The 1998 Yankees went with the first pick and were followed by the 2018 Red Sox. The 1995 Braves came in at No. 14.

More MLB News

Major League Baseball has also floated the idea of an expanded playoff format for the 2020 season according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman but nothing is close to being finalized at this time. Increased revenue would be a goal of the proposition, particularly for a shortened 2020 season.

The San Diego Padres released veteran infielder Gordon Beckham. Beckham agreed to a minor league deal but was 0-for-14 during the spring. He spent the 2019 season with Detroit.