:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67186150/1264592318.jpg.0.jpg)
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported late Monday night that the MLB is discussing a bubble for the playoffs in 2020.
Major League Baseball has had preliminary discussions about holding its postseason in a bubble-type format, sources familiar with the conversations told ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 11, 2020
Early details on why MLB is embracing the bubble and what it could look like, at ESPN: https://t.co/kHgBuVEqp9
The MLB would apparently attempt to have up to three bubble hub cities, with the number shrinking down to two as teams are eliminated, and perhaps down to one hub for the World Series. This bubble approach would be an attempt to eliminate the team outbreaks that teams such as the Cardinals and Marlins have experienced that have caused large numbers of game postponements and schedule alterations.
Shutting down a team struck by the pandemic for over a week in the playoffs just wouldn’t work in the way that the league is trying to make it work in the regular season. These are early discussions, and there would likely need to be an agreement between the players association and the owners, which is never a given in baseball, but this approach might be the league’s best chance at having the playoffs go according to plan in this world we live in with COVID-19.