Major League Baseball began its 2020 season in July, and the league is trying to navigate its way through a 60-game schedule amid a global pandemic. How MLB handles the coronavirus will be a storyline all season long, and the league has already seen two teams have outbreaks. The Marlins were sidelined for more than a week as 18 players tested positive, and the St. Louis Cardinals have not played since July 29 and have more than a dozen positive cases among their player and staff.
Multiple players have decided to sit out the 2020 season due to health concerns, including a lot of big names. Mets' righty Marcus Stroman and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes have both opted out this month, as has Brewers star Lorenzo Cain.
Below we have a full list of those players who have decided to opt out of the season. The list currently stands at 21 players.
Opt-out list
Here is an up-to-date list of MLB players who have made the decision not to participate in the 2020 season:
- Mike Leake, Diamondbacks
- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
- Joe Ross, Nationals
- Ian Desmond, Rockies
- Tyson Ross, free agent
- Welington Castillo, Nationals
- David Price, Dodgers
- Felix Hernandez, Braves
- Nick Markakis, Braves -- has since opted back in
- Hector Noesi, Pirates
- Buster Posey, Giants
- Michael Kopech, White Sox
- Jordan Hicks, Cardinals
- Collin McHugh, Red Sox
- Tim Collins, Rockies
- Kohl Stewart, Orioles
- Isan Diaz, Marlins
- Lorenzo Cain, Brewers
- Francisco Liriano, free agent
- Yoenis Cespedes, Mets
- Shelby Miller, Brewers
- Marcus Stroman, Mets
There are undoubtedly several, potential short- and long-term health and safety risks being taken by those involved in a 2020 season. Given that, MLB and the MLBPA have agreed on COVID-19 guidelines which include the allowance of high-risk players or players with high-risk families to opt-out on the 2020 season.
In MLB's plan, high-risk players who decide to opt-out would receive both their full salary and service time for the season. Players who have high-risk family members may also decide to opt-out, but MLB would leave it up to teams to make the decision of whether or not they would receive salary or service time. High-risk would include people who have heart disease, lung disease, cancer, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Coronavirus is commonly considered a respiratory illness, but many of those who have tested positive can experience a wide range of different symptoms, including possible effects on the heart.