2020 MLB Draft to be held remotely, bonuses will contain deferrals
Major League Baseball has finalized some details about how the league's abbreviated 2020 draft will be conducted next month, according to a memo ESPN's Jeff Passan and Baseball America's JJ Cooper obtained.
The five-round draft will be conducted from June 10-11, Cooper reports. Round 1 - consisting of the first 37 picks - will take place on June 10 at 7 p.m. ET, while the remaining 123 picks will be made the following day at 5 p.m. ET. MLB Network will likely broadcast the entire draft, according to Cooper.
The draft will be held remotely, according to Passan. MLB will not allow teams to assemble in draft rooms, though that could change if circumstances allow.
Like the NFL Draft, the head of baseball operations for every team -- either president or GM -- will be sent a video it and will be on camera with no audio during the MLB Draft, according to the memo
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 15, 2020
The deadline to sign draft picks has also been pushed back to Aug. 1, according to Cooper. That decision was made due to concerns about players not being able to take their physicals because of travel restrictions. MLB is working on alternatives for players to undergo those exams locally.
In addition, MLB is instituting new measures regarding undrafted players, according to Cooper. Teams will not be allowed to contact undrafted free agents, their family members, or their agents between the end of the draft on June 11 and 9 a.m. ET on June 14. Clubs will also be prohibited from promising to sign prospects as free agents both before and during the 2020 draft.
Finally, all signing bonuses will contain partial deferrals spread over the next two years, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. While the slot values for each pick will not change from 2019, draftees will only receive up to $100,000 of their bonuses in 2020. Teams will then pay 50% of the remaining bonus money on July 1, 2021, with the other half owed on July 1, 2022, Rosenthal reports.
There will be more undrafted free agents available due to this year's draft being shortened from 40 rounds to five. Teams can sign an unlimited amount of undrafted free agents while offering a maximum $20,000 signing bonus for each player.