This sounds very promising and the two sides seem to at last be getting serious about it rather than just proposing pie in the sky stuff. I expect the players to push for 72 games and in the end it becomes 66 which would work out to 40.7% of a season and that much pay which is the upper end of the owners various proposals. 60 games is 37%. So what would that mean?
- 60 games = 6 games vs each team in your division = 24 games; 6 vs the 5 in another = 30 more = 54 games leaving 6 more to be assigned. Make 1 series vs each team in your own division a 4 game set and 2 vs teams in the other division and you got your 60 games.
- 66 games = 8 games vs each team in your division = 32 games, 7 vs the 5 in another = 35 leading to 67 games - so one game vs a team in the other division gets cut out.
- 72 games = 8 games vs each team in your division = 32 games, 8 games vs each team in another division = 40 game; total of 72. Nice and simple. A bit of a scheduling issue as that would mean you have no 3 game series, only 4 game ones or a 3 and a 5 Could go on an 8 day plan thus some series would start on a Sunday and go to Tuesday and other oddities but I doubt anyone would care with no fans in the stands.
- 82 games = 12 games vs each team in your division = 48 games, 6 games vs each team in another division = 30 games, add 4 more via 1 extra vs each team in your own division to get to 82. Then we have a half season which most fans would prefer but owners would balk big time at.as that would cost them 25% more than a 60 game season and put the post season at risk.
I'm sure there are 101 other ways to do this, but those are the easiest ways that came to mind. The big challenge will be where to play. Florida is becoming a hotspot as is a big part of Arizona which doesn't help things. California is seeing hot spots too as is Texas. Not good. Obviously we won't get games in Toronto unless things fully open up which is very unlikely. Right now Dunedin looks to be in a very hot spot for COVID so the Jays won't want to be there I'd think. If I was to pick for MLB I'd set it up in Arizona and just make it work there. As closed in as possible.
FYI: Past proposals were for AL East to play with the NL East, the Centrals to play each other, and the Wests to do the same. Thus the Jays would face the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays as always plus Atlanta, Mets, Washington, Philly and Miami. Tough for any wildcard slots (outside of being able to beat up on Miami and Baltimore) but it would make for entertaining games.