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Probability that we will see any trade before restarting MLB
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Major League Baseball is less than a month away from trying to launch its 2020 season, however, a team still doesn’t know where it will play. The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to announce this weekend where they will be doing business, with Canadian COVID-19 inspired travel restrictions potentially potentially forcing them to Dunedin, Florida.
On Friday, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro confirmed that the team will be located in Toronto or Dunedin. The team petitioned the Canadian government to allow their players to cross the border before training, but the Canadian Public Health Agency is said to be reviewing the MLB restart plan without a set timeline, according to CBC.
Canada’s defense against the new coronavirus is not the only complication for the Blue Jays. If they are required to remain in Dunedin, they will have to deal with the ongoing spread in Florida. The Florida Department of Health announced nearly 9,000 new cases on Friday, giving it a new record for the 19th consecutive day.
According to an agreement between the league and the union, players are supposed to report to camp before July 1. The 60-game season will begin on July 23 or 24, as long as the spread of the new coronavirus allows.
According to ESPN, the Blue Jays had discussed sharing Tropicana Field with the Tampa Bay Rays, but those plans fell apart. Shapiro claimed that the Blue Jays had not considered moving to Buffalo, New York, where their Triple-A team is normally located. Dunedin, by contrast, is the Blue Jays’ spring training home and the location of its affiliate High-A.
Wherever the Blue Jays end, Shapiro confirmed that they do not intend to have fans in the stands this season.
