MLB and MLBPA Close to Agreement on Saving 2020 Draft

With the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic that's currently devastating the world, rumors were circulating that the 2020 MLB Draft could be outright cancelled.

However, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, the MLB and MLBPA are close to finalizing a new plan for the 2020 MLB Draft that could be agreed upon as soon as Thursday.

Sources: MLB & the MLB Players Association have the framework of an agreement that could be finalized as soon as today. Discussed terms on the draft:

- A draft sometime in July
- Likely 10 rounds, possibly 5
- Bonus deferment: 10% upfront, 45% in July '21, 45% in July '22
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 26, 2020

The draft would reportedly take place in July rather than June, would likely be 10 rounds but could be cut to five, and would feature deferred bonuses for the players. They even discussed a possible maximum bonus for undrafted players of $10,000, which could push a lot of talent back to college for the more standard, longer 2021 draft.

a maximum bonus for undrafted players has been discussed. Most discussed number for that is $10,000. Could push lots of high school talent to college, middle-tier college talent to return to school.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 26, 2020

Just like the NFL, MLB is doing all they can to try and get a draft for 2020, however difficult it may be. The MLB Draft, however, is going to be much tougher for the league to properly finish than football's edition. The 2019 college football season was able to finish entirely, and no high school seniors were involved in their evaluation process.

If you're not a guaranteed top-100 prospect with the right amount of tape on you, it's quite likely you'll hold off on entering the draft until next season.

This eliminates teams from adding a bunch of affordable, high-potential talent to their systems. Hurts the draft system for the foreseeable future. And it hurts all the guys who are draft-eligible this year, especially the guys who aren’t top-100 prospects.
— Dan Zielinski III (@DanZielinski3) March 26, 2020

There really is no way for MLB to win in this scenario, with the way that the coronavirus is impacting every facet of life at the moment. Even if this new agreement might be tough to stomach, having a draft like this is better than having none at all.