Coronavirus: Super agent Scott Boras has a plan for MLB to lead America's reopening
Super agent Scott Boras believes Major League Baseball can play a key role in America's reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, and he has just the plan to make it work.
During an appearance on CNBC's "Squeak Alley" on Wednesday, Boras suggested a concept called "functional isolationism" would allow MLB players to gather almost immediately to begin preparation for the season.
Boras said this concept, which would protect healthy players from interacting with other potentially contagious players, was successfully used by South Korea and Singapore during their own COVID-19 crisis. The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) was specifically used as evidence of its success. The South Korea-based league began preseason games without fans on Tuesday.
Boras’ plan for MLB does not allow for fans, either. But he does believe young and healthy professional baseball players are the "perfect subjects" to get things running again.
How the plan would work
According to Boras, the plan involves creating control groups, bringing players back in waves and using isolation practices.
As is typical in spring training, pitchers and catchers would arrive first under Boras’ plan. Position players would be next. Any remaining personnel would arrive with the third group.
Once the entire team is in place, they would all be divided into three new groups consisting of those who previously had the coronavirus, those who haven’t had it and those who have it currently. So far, no player who was involved in a major-league camp during spring training has tested positive for COVID-19. Minor league players in the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees organizations have tested positive.
An isolation plan designed to keep infected players away from the team would be put in place when required. That would allow players to continue training uninterrupted.
Preferred location
While Arizona, Florida and most recently Texas have been suggested as possible central locations for MLB’s 2020 season, Boras thinks his home state of California would be the best location.
“They have the best ballparks, everything is within a five to six hour driving distance, and they have some of the best hospitals in the country,” Boras said of California.
Boras also cited California’s low mortality and infection rate compared to other parts of the country as a big reason it makes sense.
CNBC’s story points out that 61% of the coronavirus deaths come from just six states: New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Louisiana. The suggestion being there are other viable areas to host MLB games if Boras’ plan went forward without California being a willing participant.
Will baseball players be on board?
Boras went on record stating that his group of clients, which include the likes of Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Jose Altuve, are on board with his plan.
“I know my players are willing to create this control and go forward. They want to create a return to normalcy and certainly our national pastime is a sign of that. America misses victories right now and to turn on your TV and watch a baseball game is a part of that normalcy.”
The tricky part will be gaining the support of all players.
To date, every plan reportedly under consideration has been met with mixed reactions from the players. Many appear dead set against separating from family for months at a time during a global pandemic. Others are understandably concerned about how safe an isolated league would be.
While Boras raises some interesting and even valid points about what baseball’s return would mean for the country, it couldn’t move forward without a willingness to sacrifice time away from home and perhaps even progress that’s been made in fighting against the coronavirus. That support from government officials on down won’t be easy to find.
If nothing else, Boras’ plan speaks to how determined many with a close baseball connection are to bringing the game back sooner than later.
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