Agents lament 'grossly shortsighted' approach to 2020 MLB Draft

Major League Baseball's reported plan to reduce the 2020 amateur draft from 40 rounds to five is not sitting well with everyone.

Agent Jeff Berry sees the decision as a panic move to help prevent further financial losses in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Particularly given the negligible economic impact to what's already a cheap acquisition cost, this approach is grossly shortsighted," Berry, who's also the co-head of CAA Baseball, said, according to Ronald Blum of The Associated Press. "To drastically reduce opportunity and talent and talent pools, it stunts growth and diversity at all levels and is really a self-inflicted sabotage of the long-term health and popularity of the game."

Any player who doesn't get drafted will be eligible to sign with teams, but signing bonuses for undrafted players will be capped at $20,000. This represents a significant drop for some draft slots, as all but six of the sixth-round selections in 2019 received signing bonuses richer than $200,000.

Agent Scott Boras took particular exception to this change.

"You can't afford to live when you sign for $20,000 in the minor leagues," Boras said.

For Berry, owners crying poor should step aside if they can't pay appropriate bonuses to their draft picks.

"For any ownership group that supports this course of action as advisable or, frankly, is so cash-strapped that this mid-six-figure savings is a financial necessity, they should do everyone a favor, including their fellow owners, and sell their franchises," Berry said.

The 2020 draft is expected to take place June 10-11, but no date has been finalized. The Detroit Tigers have the first overall pick.