Teams Make Differing Arrangements As MLB Suspends Spring Training

We started the day with teams hunkered down in their spring facilities, awaiting word on what to do next with Cactus and Grapefruit League contests cancelled. MLB and MLBPA discussions resulted in an agreement that allowed players to head home and recommended they do so in many cases. MLB has just announced that Spring Training has officially been suspended.

Thus far, however, teams have taken differing approaches — driven at least in part, it must be noted, by player preferences. In all cases, players can now elect to join their families at their homes. Should they elect to stay, they’ll receive standard per diems.

While all players are being allowed to make their own choices, the disparate approaches don’t seem optimal. We’ll have to see whether this prompts a brighter-line approach at the league-union level.

Then again, teams and players are in a gray area in terms of preparing for the season. It’s clear that Opening Day will be pushed back at least two weeks, but far from obvious when it’ll occur.

We’ll use this post to track the developments on this topic.

Staying as a full group:

• Tigers players voted to remain in Florida for now, and general manager Al Avila will also be on hand, MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes.  The players will be taking part in informal workouts with the medical staff and minor league coaches on hand.
• Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria believe the entire Giants team will return to the field when the club’s spring facility re-opens on Monday, the two players tell Henry Schulman and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Just about all of the Rangers’ players plan to stay in camp through week and then proceed to Dallas, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes.  Workouts will then continue either at the Rangers’ new ballpark or at the team’s youth academy, provided no further developments have taken place.
• The Yankees players have unanimously voted to remain and keep training, per player rep Zack Britton (via George A. King III of the New York Post, on Twitter). GM Brian Cashman says he will remain as well, along with the coaching and training staff, Jack Curry of YES Network tweets.
• All of the Padres’ MLB roster is staying in the area for now, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter.

Mostly or largely dispersing:

• Most of the Twins are leaving camp, with The Athletic’s Dan Hayes (Twitter link) writing that around 20 players from both the Major League and minor league camps will stay.
• The Cardinals, meanwhile, have decided to close camp for the most part, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (Twitter links). Ten to fifteen St. Louis players will remain on hand for the time being.
• It seems that’s more or less the approach of the Braves. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that multiple players have left the facility, some of whom hope to be able to train together in the Atlanta area.
• The Reds are also seeing the majority of players off, Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer was among those to report on Twitter.

Wait-and-see stance:

• A “high majority” of Mets players are expected to remain in camp, a source tells Newsday’s Tim Healey reports.
• The Diamondbacks face “a little bit of a unique situation” in that their Spring Training site is close to their home city, GM Mike Hazen told reporters (including The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert).  Since so many players live in the area, Hazen believes most of the team will continue to work out at the spring facility.
• The Rays’ Florida camp is also relatively close to home, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes, though it isn’t yet clear how many players are planning to remain.  Tropicana Field will be opened for informal workouts on March 23, however.
• The Nationals will meet as a team tomorrow, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports on Twitter, with many planning to stick around.
• Most Cubs players will remain in Arizona, at least until their leases run out at the end of the month, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets.
• The Angels are still thinking through their options, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter.
• Likewise, the Marlins are staying close by and waiting to make decisions, Craig Mish of SportsGrid tweets.
• All but three of the players in Mariners camp — 40-man members plus non-roster invitees — will stay on hand, Corey Brock of The Athletic was among those to report via Twitter.