Ben Cherington is planning for the possibility that MLB will play a regular season in 2020. What the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager doesn’t know is when, where or how.

One thing is certain: He isn’t dwelling on doomsday scenarios.

“I wake up every day believing we are going to play games,” Cherington said Tuesday on a conference call. “I’m probably optimistic by nature, so … I kind of think about how things are going to get better and not in the other direction. Maybe that influences how I think about how potentially (to play) a season in 2020.

“But I do believe we’re going to play games. That doesn’t mean I know we will. We’ve got to plan for every scenario, but we’re spending more of our energy — maybe that’s because we’re optimistic — trying to think about how to prepare for those games, not knowing when or where or how exactly they’ll be be played. We want to be as prepared as possible.”

Cherington believes he’s in a unique position because he’s involved in calls with MLB executives, including Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and president Travis Williams, and is in contact with Pirates coaches and players who provide valuable feedback. What he’s found is that “there is an incredible level of motivation” on both sides to play the regular season, allowing that the health and safety of everyone involved in the game is first and foremost.

“Exactly what the details look like and what further discussions have to happen to allow for that, assuming we can do it safely, those are conversations that will happen amongst other people,” Cherington said. “When you have groups that are that motivated to find solutions, it probably heightens my optimism.”

MLB is exploring multiple scenarios where baseball could return this summer. One idea was playing all of the games in Arizona and keeping players quarantined. Another involved splitting teams into two leagues based on spring training sites, with the Cactus League in Arizona and Grapefruit League in Florida replacing the American and National leagues.

USA Today reported Tuesday that MLB is considering a 100-game schedule with three 10-team divisions, with hopes of playing by late June or early July. The Pirates would be in a proposed East Division with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals.

Cherington, whose conference call was over before that story broke, chose not to speculate on what MLB will decide. He said MLB will follow the recommendations of health experts, whose approval could require coronavirus testing if available to the public.

“There’s certainly some advantage to either being in Pittsburgh or Bradenton, just because of the familiarity with advantage with facilities and you know how to use those places to your advantage already and there’s less ramp-up time from that standpoint,” Cherington said. “I really believe our players and coaches, and really the entire Major League traveling party if you think about that as a group, is willing to play wherever the league and the (Players Association) decide on the guidance of health experts is the safest place and the safest way to do it.”

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