Marlins: Teams may need a month to get ready to play again

When a date is announced for the start of the 2020 MLB season, how long will it take the Miami Marlins and other teams to get ready for Opening Day?

There is no timetable yet when the Miami Marlins or the other 29 Major League teams will once again take infield practice, but now there is some idea of how long it will take for teams to prepare for the start of the season.

Per a story on ESPN.com, “With no sign of when training camps can resume, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro says he thinks Major League Baseball would need at least a month of workouts and exhibition games before regular-season play can begin.”

The Marlins participated in 20 Spring Training games and finished the shortened season with a 12-6-2 record before the decision was made to halt all games and close training facilities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Many of the Marlins top prospects had been assigned to minor league camp, however, there are a few players – Monte Harrison and Nick Neidert, who are left standing among the 48 players remaining in Major League camp. They both have an outside shot at making the Opening Day 26-man roster.

“Knowing that so many players are not even having any access to throwing at all or hitting at all, but most importantly just throwing, and probably limited access to just training and exercise, it’s hard to imagine we could get ready in less than four weeks,” Shapiro said in a teleconference with Toronto reporters.

More from Marlins News

• Why didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?
• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade

The work stoppage will have an effect on every team in MLB. The Marlins will be affected because the team’s momentum was halted. Regardless of the games not counting toward the regular season, team CEO Derek Jeter and skipper Don Mattingly had an opportunity to see future prospects hit against top-level pitching and also had a chance to see a roster that appears to have more power in the middle of the batting order.

Even with the notion of a timetable needed to get teams prepared, there is no word from the league office when that might happen. Originally, the stoppage was supposed to last a couple of weeks. Since then, it has been suggested it could take more time, maybe even into the summer before players get back on the field.

“It certainly looks like we are not dealing with days and likely not weeks, but closer to months,” Shapiro added.

This is the fifth season Mattingly will be on the bench for the Marlins. He is still looking for his first winning season in South Florida. The offseason was spent added veterans to the roster and more hitters in the middle of the lineup. Miami also invested heavily in improving the bullpen.

As many as six of the eight everyday starters will be different from the Opening Day of 2019. Also, the Marlins will have a new Opening Day starter on the mound. Mattingly is expected to name Sandy Alcantara the one who receives that honor.

FanSided 250

Fansided250 Logo

Where does your fandom rank?

See 2019 Rankings