Take me out to the ball game: MLB planning 2019 and 2020 season openers in Asia
Collective bargaining agreement reached in November is confirmed, and contains a schedule for international play through until 2021
Major League Baseball plans to start the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Asia and play regular-season games in England in June of both years.
The collective bargaining agreement reached in November was finalised and sent to the clubs on Friday, and it contains a schedule for international play through until 2021 along with how much extra money each player will receive for making the trips.
“Playing major league games abroad is critically important to growing the game internationally, and we are very pleased that the parties were able to agree on a very comprehensive international play plan in bargaining,” Major League Baseball (MLB) chief legal officer Dan Halem said.
The agreement calls for the season opener to be played in Asia in 2018 and 2020 and specifies Japan for 2019. However, plans have not progressed for a 2018 Asian opener and those games are now unlikely.
A two-game series between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has already been announced April next year, and the agreement calls for an additional series in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic in May 2020.
