Minor League Baseball will be canceled in 2020

Updated at 4:28 p.m.
​
Multiple outlets, including Baseball America, reported that the 2020 Minor League Baseball season would be canceled today. That announcement came at 4:24 this afternoon in a release from MiLB.

The season was canceled after MLB informed Minor League teams that it would not provide players for their clubs. 

"These are unprecedented times for our country and our organization as this is the first time in our history that we've had a summer without Minor League Baseball played, MiLB President and CEO Pat O'Conner said in a statement.

Some have been expecting this news for a while as others held out hope, but it shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anybody. What makes everything worse though, is the potential that some of these Minor League clubs will never play again. 

MLB has reportedly been planning to cut 42 Minor League franchises in order to downsize the total number of teams. There are multiple reasons behind this - saving money, providing better facilities to players - but none of them can justify these actions to those who will be affected by it. 

Communities will lose a major source of revenue and a gathering place for summer nights. Players with big league hopes will find it even tougher to make it there; fewer Minor League teams means fewer players needed to fill out a team's farm system. 

Hundreds of people will lose jobs - stadium workers, front office personnel and summer interns will all be looking for new employment. 

This is something that we all knew was coming, but with the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League season expected to be announced today, it makes it all feel more real. No one can say with certainty what comes next, but it's sure to be a rough road ahead for MiLB.