2020 MLB Season May Lead to Permanent Schedule Changes

The latest rumors seem to point toward there being a 2020 MLB season. The remaining unknown is how many games will be played, and what the overall format will be for the first-of-its-kind campaign.

Any 2020 season will also serve as a bit of a case study to analyze the success of moving away from the traditional 162-game season. Tanking has become a major problem in the sport, and cold weather in March and April makes attending games brutal in certain regions of the country. Bleacher Report's Bob Klapisch shared some potential major changes in the future that could all stem from 2020's experimentation.

Here are two radical changes #MLB should consider in the post-pandemic era. Warning: purists won’t like either one https://t.co/rMbw3VcIfE
— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) May 1, 2020

He goes as far to propose a tiered system featuring relegation, such as what goes on in European soccer. That may be a hard sell for American fans and for owners of teams wanting their share of the big money. His other suggestion, and one that seems more feasible, is shortening the season.

At this point, almost everyone involved with the process agrees: There will be baseball in 2020. The details are the tricky part.

At ESPN, 20 Questions dives into the details — when, where, how — with a comprehensive look at what and who are driving it: https://t.co/qJfGNLerLW
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 27, 2020

162 games seems to be an arbitrary number that makes the season far too long, especially when so many teams commit to rebuilding. However, money is going to be the ultimate factor with any proposed changes. Owners don't want to make less, and players don't want to be paid less.

That is what makes the current negotiations so important and fascinating. How the players and owners negotiate for the 2020 season, given that one is played, can lay out the groundwork for how contracts will work if changes are made that are ultimately better for the game.