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There is still hope around Major League Baseball that the 2020 season will resume. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY

MLB insider: 'Great confidence' there will be a 2020 season

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/4/20

Major League Baseball fans felt their hearts sink on Wednesday when Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported he'd heard "greater pessimism" from owners and members of the MLB Players Association about the season resuming this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman had a different take on the situation.

According to Heyman, there is now "great confidence" owners and players will come to terms on an agreement even after owners rejected a 114-game proposal from the union:

Hearing great confidence that there will be baseball this year even after players/owners hit a stalemate in talks yesterday. Not sure why this is but could be because owners believe commissioner can and may be willing to mandate a short — about 50 games — regular season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 4, 2020

Heyman and Brendan Kuty of NJ.com have both reported the players realistically desire an 82-game season. The owners and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred could push for a season of 50 games with prorated salaries:

Owners believe there are 2/3 ways to play: 1) players accept or negotiate off owners’ sliding scale 82-game proposal (owners are willing to talk about less than the 40% paycut offered) 2) the commissioner mandates a very shortened season (50 or so games) with prorated a layer pay
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 4, 2020

Throughout the negotiations, the league has campaigned to finish the season by the end of October out of fears over a second virus wave:

Owners are steadfast in seeking to end the MLB season by around Nov. 1 to give them the best chance to complete the postseason and avoid a 2nd wave. Meanwhile players, citing other sports’ provisional plans, say there’s no reason MLB can’t also play through November.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 4, 2020

Last month, Bob Nightengale of USA Today spoke with Toronto Blue Jays and QuestCap medical advisor Glenn Copeland about a second coronavirus wave impacting baseball.

Copeland said: "The story of the virus, infectious diseases, and entomology is that there is usually a second wave. The numbers drop lower and lower in the summer months, it’s less contagious, and people out there get lulled into the second that social distancing isn’t necessary and other precautions aren’t being taken.

"And then whamo! You’re hit with that second wave. And the problem is that no one knows when that second wave is coming."

Also on Wednesday, The Athletic's Jayson Stark suggested July 15 could be a tentative restart date MLB is targeting as of this week.

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