Cleveland Indians preparing for July 1 Opening Day?

It appears we may have an idea about how former MLB player and current podcaster Trevor Plouffe allegedly received information about a potential kickoff to the baseball season that's been indefinitely suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, Plouffe took to Twitter to report he'd heard from "multiple sources" that MLB was planning for a June 10 restart of Spring Training to prepare for a league-wide Opening Day on July 1 that involved clubs playing inside of their home ballparks.

While baseball insiders Jon Heyman and Keith Law both poured cold water over that rumor the following day, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic backed Plouffe's story when he reported on Wednesday that Cleveland Indians players were given a "mark in the sand" Opening Day for July 1:

Indians officials, on a Zoom call that included about 70 members of the organization, estimated the season would begin after a three-week ramp-up, putting the start of Spring Training 2.0 around June 10, another date Plouffe specified. But the officials made it clear the dates were mere targets, fully expected to change. They simply wanted players to be prepared if the league meets all of the logistical challenges necessary to play.

There's plenty to unpack in Rosenthal's full report, most notably that nothing is official and every idea is subject to change practically daily. Additional virus outbreaks could push Opening Day back further into the year or even lead to MLB canceling the season entirely. Too much remains unknown, and every story is speculation until MLB and the MLB Players Association announce an official agreement for an altered campaign. 

As one executive told Rosenthal, all involved with completing a season must embrace flexibility and realize that sudden modifications, such as a team relocating its home games out of state if additional coronavirus waves impact any MLB city, may be inevitable. 

It's widely assumed games would occur without fans in attendance for at least a portion of the season.