Report: 2020 MLB Amateur Draft limited to 5 rounds
After weeks of speculation surrounding the length of the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft, the league has opted for its original suggestion of five rounds, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.
After the five rounds, teams will be able to sign as many undrafted players as they wish for a maximum $20,000 signing bonus each. Such players in previous 40-round drafts have been subject to a soft-cap bonus of $125,000.
It was previously speculated that drafts of up to 10 rounds were being considered. However, MLB and the players' union could not come to an agreement on a 10-round draft despite the majority of teams lobbying for more selections, Passan reports.
The 10-round proposal failed in part due to a proposed change to bonus pools, as Rounds 1-5 would have had a separate allotment of bonuses than Rounds 6-10, according to Passan. In previous 40-round drafts, teams were able to disperse their total bonus pools as they saw fit without restrictions. Penalties would only come into effect once clubs spent beyond the total allotment given.
In addition, each draftee's slotted signing bonus will be the same as in 2019, as opposed to the typical growth of roughly 3%, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
A date for the draft has yet to be finalized, but it's likely to take place June 10-11, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Detroit Tigers hold the first overall pick.