Fan FAQ: Bastian fields questions about 2020

Before we get to this week's FAQ-style Inbox, it's important to issue a reminder that Major League Baseball continues to adhere to the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and teams are following guidance from the national and local governments in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. MLB and the MLB Players'Association also remain in negotiations about a possible 2020 season, and the litany of details and safety measures that would require are still under discussion.

• What fans need to know about coronavirus

With that in mind, here are some general questions sent in by multiple fans in recent weeks and the latest on the Cubs' approach and potential plans.

If there is a season this year as MLB hopes, where would the Cubs hold their Spring Training 2? Would it be at their complex in Arizona or at Wrigley Field Chicago?
The Cubs' preference would be to hold any preseason workouts at Wrigley Field. Beyond MLB's approval, that would also require formal permission from both Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Internally, the Cubs are optimistic about that possibility.

One issue the Cubs would have to work around is the simple fact of having just one field to utilize compared to having several at its site in Mesa, Ariz. It's possible the Cubs would explore finding a second training site in the Chicagoland area (or at one of the closer Minor League affiliates). The second site scenario is also something Chicago might look to continue for its depth players during the season as well.

With the White Sox also in Chicago and the Brewers not too far north in Milwaukee, would the teams play exhibition games before the official season?
Nothing is determined on this front, but this is where it's important to again note that teams and MLB will be following the advice of medical professionals. Fewer exhibition games means a lower risk of cross-contamination. The most likely scenario is that the Cubs will hold intrasquad games when appropriate in their build-up for a potential season.

How have the Cubs gone about communication with their MLB players and development process with the Minor Leaguers over the last few months?
Like many of us, Chicago players and coaches have been video conferencing and using text threads to stay in touch as a group. The Cubs also created a phone app that the player development department has been using not only to communicate with players but also to send video and analysis back and forth. Chicago has also sent basic equipment to players who lacked the proper resources while sheltering and training wherever they may be.

How would expanded rosters impact the position competitions that were happening during Spring Training in March?
This question will be easier to answer if/when there is clarity on what roster parameters look like for a possible 2020 season. If expanded rosters are in play, plenty of those players who were on the bubble or fighting for a job will likely be more realistic options for the MLB roster.

Will some of the Cubs' top prospects get to work out with the Major League team?
First, the Minor League season has not been officially ruled out. Know, however, that teams (including the Cubs) are examining possible contingency plans for continuing the development process. It seems to be a possibility that the final rules on the depth of rosters might allow for a few extra spots to place prospects not in the current MLB plans with the big league team for training/development.

What's the latest on the Cubs paying their Minor League players and employees?
On both fronts, Chicago has been taking a month-by-month approach, given that the landscape has the potential to change a lot (positively or negatively) in the course of four weeks. The Cubs will continue to pay their Minor Leaguers through June, and that includes the group of around 30 players who were recently released. Chicago waited to make those releases (many of which would have taken place at the end of Spring Training) while awaiting the possibility of a 2020 Minor League season and also factoring in aspects of a 2021 season.