Major League Baseball has had preliminary discussions about holding its postseason in a bubble-type format after the coronavirus outbreaks on the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins that wreaked havoc on the regular-season schedule illustrated how a similar scenario could upend the playoffs, sources familiar with the conversations told ESPN.
While a fully contained bubble similar to the NBA's setup at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida would be difficult for MLB to replicate, a multi-city format that replicates the NHL's Toronto and Edmonton hubs has gained early traction, sources said.
Because of MLB's expansion to 16 playoff teams, the league would need at least three hubs to complete its wild-card round before shrinking to a two-hub format for the division series.