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Alex Rodriguez wants MLB to get creative in 2020: 'Try everything' and 'let it fly'

If the 2020 season happens, Alex Rodriguez wants Major League Baseball to try every wild idea under the sun to make it the most interesting season possible.

The former MLB great and current ESPN broadcaster made that much clear during an appearance on ESPN’s "Get Up" Wednesday morning. A-Rod says now is the time to buck tradition and figure out which forward-thinking ideas could possibly stick and become part of MLB’s new normal.

A-Rod: Baseball should ‘try everything’

According to A-Rod, no idea should be off the table. That includes Justin Turner’s recent pitch for games to be decided by a Home Run Derby after 10 innings.

"In 2020, I love everything," A-Rod said. "The one thing we have to signal to the world is, if you're a traditionalist, Major League Baseball is not for you. If you have any naughty, disruptive, crazy idea, make it happen this year. Try everything. Pilot everything.

"Open up the floodgates, open up the batting cage, mic up players every single game, have baseball put their best foot forward," he added. "Fans want to see more, they want to hear more, and Turner always has some great ideas, why not, I like it, let it fly."

If baseball returns in 2020, it will look much different than it ever has before. The coronavirus shutdown, however long it lasts, will inevitably shorten the season and potentially limit the number of stadiums that can be safely used. On top of that, the likelihood that every game will be played in an empty stadium is high.

One way or another, the season will have an asterisk by it. In A-Rod’s opinion — and in our opinion, too — that’s what makes it the right time to try new things. Here are some of our ideas that we’re sure Rodriguez would approve of.

A-Rod: Players should stay prepared

A-Rod also briefly touched on the proposed May start date, suggesting that players be prepared for that and every other possibility that could eventually become a reality.

“Well, I think right now, everything is so fluid,” Rodriguez said. “We make plans and God laughs right now. So I think there are no bad ideas. I think, to start thinking as a player, preparing for the earliest time possible is the greatest thing we can do. The worst thing for a player would be, ‘Hey, we think it’s August.’ And then the commissioner says, ‘Hey, we’re opening things up.’ And you have to show up May 15 and you’re not quite ready. So, I think it’d be an adjustment, but I think we would follow suit.”

Uncertainty has been the buzzword during MLB’s shutdown. But A-Rod is right when he suggests preparation will eventually replace it.

He’s also right when he says ‘there are no bad ideas’ at this stage in the process. Everything is worth a discussion to determine what ultimately makes sense.

Unfortunately, the good idea folder is essentially empty as well. That leaves the 2020 season as a blank canvas with endless possibilities. The more creative or chaotic the results are, the more A-Rod thinks baseball fans will like it.

Alex Rodriguez calls on MLB to get try new ideas if there's a 2020 season. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Alex Rodriguez calls on MLB to get try new ideas if there's a 2020 season. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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