The 2020 MLB amateur draft will still be held in June, but it will be just five rounds, according to multiple reports, the shortest in pro baseball history.
As outlined by Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic, five rounds was the shortest possible draft allowed under the March agreement the league and players came to regarding a shortened MLB season.
And while there previously had been a thought that the draft would be at least 10 rounds, it will now be just five, with teams then being able to sign an unlimited number of undrafted players for a maximum bonus of $20,000.
Per The Athletic, MLB proposed a 10-round draft but the Players Union found the rules too restrictive, as bonus slot numbers in the second five rounds would have been cut in half, and teams would have been able to sign just five players to the $20,000 max bonus.
The nature of this 2020 draft could push more players to decline signing with teams once drafted, and instead head for college or junior college to play until a future draft that is more typical. According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, players draft in rounds four and five will now likely be asked to sign to lower bonuses, which could push them to college.
The draft is set for June 10-11, but it will certainly be different than any other draft in league history.
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