MLB Rumors: New York Yankees Predicted To Suffer Most From Games Wthout Fans

The MLB is planning to proceed with games sans the fans in the delayed 2020 Season. Due to the lingering threat of the Coronavirus, the league is left with no other choice but to sacrifice a significant amount of revenue from live arena games, and based on a projection, the New York Yankees are expected to be hit the most.

The Yankees might suffer the largest chunk of the financial loss, according to the documents gathered by the media as reported by CBS Sports as the MLB is expected to lose about $640,000 per game in an 82-game regular season if games are to be played without fans in attendance.

“Playing without fans, of course, means no gate receipts for MLB teams and no in-stadium sales of concessions or merchandise,” CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry wrote.

“At the team level, the document projects the Yankees to suffer the most losses at more than $300 million total in the absence of further concessions from the players.”

But despite the worrisome economic trend, teams, including the Yankees, are still guaranteed to “receive local and national television revenues commensurate with the number of games played.”

Amidst the agony and several other distractions, the Yankees are keeping themselves ready should the season commence.

According to Andrez Chavez of Empire Sports Media, the Yankees are prioritizing their safety measures and policies as the players brace for the possibility of playing under the most bizarre playing conditions in recent memory.

“That’s been the mission plan, focusing on how we as an industry create a safe environment, because that’s the only way it’s going to work,” Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman said, per Chavez. “Every business out there is coming up with new best practices, researching as much as they possibly can about the best hygiene care moving forward in terms of cleaning their facilities and maintaining a safe and healthy environment.”

Speaking of policies, the MLB has set out a series of rules in a 67-page “2020 Operations Manual” pending the approval of the union as the league aims to seek the balance between not canceling the season and not putting all players’ safety in peril.

As reported by Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, the recommendation includes restricting fighting, limiting players’ movement on the road, imposing strict social distancing measures inside the dugout, controlling infielders’ movement, and shutting down the stadium’s amenities.