Players opting out of the 2020 season Mike Leake goes first

[Mohoney]

This is the first report of a player exercising an opt-out for the 2020 season. Shortly after the announcement from Leake, reports surfaced that Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross will also opt out.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/...-covid-19.html

[Mohoney]

Ian Desmond has also opted out.

[HomeFish]

How does this work for service time? I believe Joe Ross was eligible to be a free agent after the 2020 season, is that now pushed back a year?

[vegandork]

How does this work for service time? I believe Joe Ross was eligible to be a free agent after the 2020 season, is that now pushed back a year?

Players who have a medical exemption get their service time, players without one do not.

[Mohoney]

Tyson Ross and Welington Castillo are opting out of the 2020 season.

[Chez]

Tyson Ross and Welington Castillo are opting out of the 2020 season.

You sure it's not the 2020 season that is opting out of Wellington Castillo?

[TDog]

You sure it's not the 2020 season that is opting out of Wellington Castillo?

I'm surprised I haven't seen a sarcastic "he opted out of 2019" quip.

I heard that Mike Trout has considered opting out. That actually makes some sense. He and his wife (who is doing the heavy lifting here) are expecting their first child in August. It won't be too deep into the truncated season, and it would give him the opportunity for an extended paternity leave.

Trout sitting out would have the added bonus of making the commissioner cry.

[MrX]

David Price just announced he’s opting out.

[TDog]

Maybe instead of straining to have a brief regular series and a disproportionate post season this year, MLB cold just wait until October and hold the postseason it canceled in 1994 I'd take today's Frank Thomas over today's Jimmy Key (who doesn't lift weights in commercials on late night cable). Or you could send out the 2020 players as replacements.

[Mohoney]

Maybe instead of straining to have a brief regular series and a disproportionate post season this year, MLB cold just wait until October and hold the postseason it canceled in 1994 I'd take today's Frank Thomas over today's Jimmy Key (who doesn't lift weights in commercials on late night cable). Or you could send out the 2020 players as replacements.

Postseason is staying the same. The 16-team plan was scrapped.

[TDog]

I wrote "disproportionate", not "expanded". You still have to win 11 (or 12) games to win the championship. That's more than 20 percent of the regular season. It's conceivable that a team could play 20 postseason games to win the World Series -- a wild-card play-in game, five division series, seven league championship series and seven World Series. That would be 20 games after a 60-game regular season. I would consider that disproportionate, although not as disproportionate as an expanded postseason would have been.

[MrX]

Felix Hernandez is out.

Buster Posey is in camp, but says he’s not sure if he’ll stay for the season.

[A. Cavatica]

Probably the end of King Felix's career.

[Kittle42]

Markakis opts out.