MLB agent: I won't advise undrafted players to sign for $20K

Major League Baseball is facing criticism for changes that could be made to the amateur draft this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic, including the impact on amateur players.

The league has reserved the right to reduce the 2020 draft to as few as five rounds, which is down from 40 in recent years. In addition, undrafted players will now have their bonuses set at a maximum of $20,000, down from $125,000.

"I'm sure as hell not telling any of my guys to sign for $20,000," one unnamed agent told Chris Cotillo of MassLive. "It's an (expletive) joke."

An undrafted player in 2020 will thus be eligible for a maximum bonus that's just 16% of his predecessors', even though players in previous years went an additional 35 rounds without being selected.

Even further, a typical sixth-rounder, who would have been eligible for a bonus of at least $237,000 last year, will earn less than 11% of that by signing after going undrafted.

The majority of undrafted players who choose not to sign will fall into two categories: high schoolers who will opt to attend college and college players who will have to return. The NCAA's Division I Council has agreed to grant college players an additional year of eligibility. Those who return will have to re-enter the draft in 2021, which is expected to be 20 rounds.

Some agents are also concerned that such a low cap will cause more prospects to field multiple maximum offers. An increase in equal opportunities could impact the league's competitive balance.

It could provide myriad benefits for teams located in youth baseball hotspots, such as Southern California, Texas, Florida, or the Southeast, Cotillo adds. It might also lead to an increase of prospects signing with more storied franchises, like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, or Chicago Cubs.

"Yes, they (will consider their hometown teams), for sure," an unnamed team employee told Cotillo. "Unless a (scout) has a good relationship with him."

Scouts and agents also told Cotillo that opportunity could play a factor, with prospects choosing an organization that lacks depth at their position, or whether the draftee simply knows others in the organization and wants to play with or be coached by them.

The draft is tentatively scheduled for July after being postponed from its regularly scheduled time in June. The Detroit Tigers will make the first overall selection.