In the opinion of one longtime MLB reporter, it may very well already be too late. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian, during a recent appearance on ESPN's Baseball Tonight Podcast with Buster Olney, said that the latest on negotiations makes him "believe more than ever" that MLB games will not be played in 2020.

I was actually mildly optimistic five days ago, and now that has all changed for me.

"When you see what the union wrote yesterday -- and I've seen so many times over the years when something comes out and writes something like that ... It makes me believe more than ever -- and I'm not sure -- that we aren't going to play this year, and I hope I'm wrong."

ESPN reported earlier in the week that MLB had rejected the players' offer for a 114-game regular season with no additional salary cuts. Owners had previously proposed an 82 game regular season and prorated salaries and pay cuts. MLB also told the union it did not plan to make a counterproposal, according to the report.

https://247sports.com/Article/mlb-season-canceled-2020-espn-insider-prediction-tim-kurkjian-coronavirus-salaries--147912364/

If baseball is cancelled this year, I have no hope for The Cleveland Indians winning it all ever again!

Disagree, I cannot see a calendar year without a playing of Major League Baseball

The longer these sports leagues stay out the more I don't miss them.

The longer these sports leagues stay out the more I don't miss them.

LOL..I could care less if ALL sports disappeared TOMORROW!

No sports will hurt sports talk radio the most. How many days can you talk about the status of a sport returning?

I don’t miss sports at all, and won’t be surprised if it does end up being cancelled.

Well, Minor League Baseball is cancelling its 2020 season as Nightmare Virus cases spike around the country. This is the first season without minor-league ball since MiLB's precursor, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues) was founded in 1901.

https://deadline.com/2020/06/minor-league-baseball-cancels-2020-season-as-coronavirus-spikes-1202974529/

Well, Minor League Baseball is cancelling its 2020 season as Nightmare Virus cases spike around the country. This is the first season without minor-league ball since MiLB's precursor, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues) was founded in 1901.

https://deadline.com/2020/06/minor-league-baseball-cancels-2020-season-as-coronavirus-spikes-1202974529/

No one cares about minor league baseball

No one cares about minor league baseball

Well, I'll have you know that this decision comes one week after Major League Baseball and the league's Players Union agreed to a shortened 60-game season for this year. Training camps had been set to open July 1, while the real games beginning around July 23/24. The league imposed a September 27 cutoff for the regular season in order for a legitimate postseason with 10 teams.

Source: Deadline. (https://deadline.com/2020/06/baseball-back-players-union-league-agree-60-game-season-1202968190/)

I don’t miss sports at all, and won’t be surprised if it does end up being cancelled.

That would be good for a change. People need to find something else to do besides staring at a TV!

Fox Sports will fill empty Major League Baseball stadiums with virtual fans (https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/fox-sports-baseball-virtual-fans-1234714159/)

Thousands of virtual fans (https://twitter.com/FOXSports/status/1286281346390740993) will attend Fox's MLB game this Saturday, Fox Sports revealed in a video. Fox says it will virtually fill the seats of Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Nationals Park, Petco Park and other ballparks that it broadcasts games over the next several weeks. “We had a vision for making our Major League Baseball broadcasts look as natural as they were before COVID,” says Brad Zager, executive producer and executive vice president and head of production and operations for Fox Sports. “A lot of that is having a crowd in the stadium.”

Major League Baseball expands the playoffs, with ESPN and TBS gaining the extra games (https://deadline.com/2020/07/major-league-baseball-expands-playoffs-to-16-teams-eight-wildcard-series-1202994020/)

MLB announced today that the 2020 postseason will now have 16 teams and begin with eight best-of-three Wild Card Series preceding the Division Series. All of the new playoff games will be exclusively televised by ESPN and TBS, with ESPN holding exclusive rights to seven of the eight series.

Major League Baseball commissioner warns players union the 2020 season could be shut down over coronavirus outbreaks (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29572885/sources-mlb-commissioner-warns-shutdown-players-do-better-job-managing-coronavirus)

"Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn't do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season," reports ESPN's Jeff Passan. "The league and players recognize the coming days are a critical juncture following an outbreak among the Miami Marlins in which 21 members of the organization have tested positive for COVID-19. Two positive tests by St. Louis Cardinals players on Friday (https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/us/mlb-coronavirus-cardinals-brewers/index.html) exacerbated concerns inside the sport about the presence of the coronavirus and whether the jointly agreed-upon protocols are being followed properly to prevent outbreaks similar to Miami's."

I hope we STILL have baseball this year...many of us have been waiting for months...

But all in all...2020 is the WORST Year Ever...and I wish they'd exclude 2020 in everything!

I wish they cancel the 2020 NFL Season...I HATE Football...because if they play a full season...then the NFL is 100% Pure Evil...if it isn't already!

MLB might be automatically changed from required to optional ASAP.

Major League Baseball may put its playoff teams in a bubble to avoid coronavirus (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29636757/sources-mlb-preliminary-talks-bubble-type-format-playoffs)

"While a fully contained bubble similar to the NBA setup at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida would be difficult for MLB to replicate, a multicity format that replicates the NHL's Toronto and Edmonton hubs has gained traction," reports ESPN's Jeff Passan. "Because of MLB's expansion to 16 playoff teams, the league would need at least three hubs to complete its wild-card round before shrinking to a two-hub format for the division series. The league championship series and World Series could be held at one or two stadiums. Remaining in one metropolitan area would allow teams to avoid air travel and perhaps remain at a single hotel for the entire postseason, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 27."