MLB set for shorter draft from remote locations

A new-look Major League Baseball draft will take place Wednesday and Thursday, with selections being made remotely and the number of chosen players significantly reduced, all a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Even if owners and players are unable to agree on the particulars for starting the 2020 season, at least future seasons will be under consideration this week. The latest proposal from owners in hopes of starting the current season is for a 76-game schedule that would start around July 10.

As a safety precaution, teams will draft players this week via video, much as teams did during the NFL draft in April, a retooled event that was met largely with positive reviews. Instead of baseball players being selected over 40 rounds, though, there will be just five rounds of selections as MLB teams and the players union agreed to the shorter proceedings as a cost-saving measure. An unlimited amount of undrafted free agents can then be signed for $20,000 each.

While teams have not been able to watch prospective draft picks on the field since March, Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz was trying to look at the positives of the situation. "We're normally going to watch them play games, they're preparing for their playoffs, their postseason runs if they're college players," Kantrovitz told reporters. "But this year in particular ... we've been able to get to know these players on a level that we otherwise wouldn't have."

The reduced number of rounds came as a concession from players to owners in a March 26 agreement as the two sides were trying to agree on how they might get the current season started. The five-round setup is expected to save teams approximately $1 million each. There will be a 160 players drafted (counting compensation selections), instead of the normal 1,200 or so, with the first 37 selected Wednesday on MLB Network and ESPN (7 p.m. ET). The remainder will be selected Thursday, with rounds two through five televised on ESPN2 and MLB Network (5 p.m. ET).

While the signing-bonus values for drafted players will be the same as they were in 2019, this year's bonuses may be deferred out as far as July 2022. Drafted players will receive a maximum of $100,000 this season. Being drafted outside of the first five rounds is not a huge impediment to making an MLB roster, though. Of the 1,400-plus players to see the field in a major league game in 2019, 46 percent of those were selected in the sixth round or later, according to Sportradar via The Athletic.

"This is the deepest draft in the last five years, especially in the first round," Dodgers vice president of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino said, according to MLB.com. "The college pitchers and high school hitters are really strong; those stand out more than others. That makes it a little more disappointing for us, because it's going to push a lot of (high school) talent to college baseball, but it should make next year really deep." The Detroit Tigers own the No. 1 overall selection Wednesday, and they are expected to choose either Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson or Vanderbilt infielder/outfielder Austin Martin. Other top picks are expected to include Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer, New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales and Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy.

The Wednesday selection order: First round

1. Detroit Tigers 2. Baltimore Orioles

3. Miami Marlins 4. Kansas City Royals

5. Toronto Blue Jays 6. Seattle Mariners

7. Pittsburgh Pirates 8. San Diego Padres

9. Colorado Rockies 10. Los Angeles Angels

11. Chicago White Sox 12. Cincinnati Reds

13. San Francisco Giants 14. Texas Rangers

15. Philadelphia Phillies 16. Chicago Cubs

17. Boston Red Sox 18. Arizona Diamondbacks

19. New York Mets 20. Milwaukee Brewers

21. St. Louis Cardinals 22. Washington Nationals

23. Cleveland Indians 24. Tampa Bay Rays

25. Atlanta Braves 26. Oakland Athletics

27. Minnesota Twins 28. New York Yankees

29. Los Angeles Dodgers Compensative Balance Round A

30. Baltimore Orioles 31. Pittsburgh Pirates

32. Kansas City Royals 33. Arizona Diamondbacks

34. San Diego Padres 35. Colorado Rockies

36. Cleveland Indians 37. Tampa Bay Rays

--Field Level Media