MLB Draft - new limits per Nightengale

[North]

MLB draft's new limits could 'crush' baseball dreams — especially among minorities
BOB NIGHTENGALE | USA TODAY

The Major League Baseball draft is coming, but no one knows the date or whether there will even be a central site.

The draft will no longer be 40 rounds, and it could be slashed to as few as five rounds, an 87.5% reduction in players.

Baseball scouts are permitted to talk to prospective draft picks by phone, text or Zoom, but they can’t even bump into them at the local burger carry-out.

They can study video, even going back to their Little League days, but anything filmed after March 27 is prohibited.

These are the new rules during the unprecedented times of the coronavirus pandemic, preparing for a baseball draft like no other.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...es/5145619002/

[REDREAD]

The restriction that clubs can't use video after March 27 is silly.

1. Clubs have cheated in far more severe ways in the draft, does MLB really think that they aren't going to look at every video they have access to.

2. It seems reasonable for the kid to have his dad film him throwing and then send that video to the club if the club wants more footage.

Just a dumb idea, that is impossible to enforce, and at least clubs are likely going to ignore the rule anyhow.

Now, granted, reducing the draft to 5 rounds and capping the undrafted guys to 20k is a far bigger concern.. but hey, not much else to talk about now..

[Sea Ray]

How do you keep someone from watching post March 27 video? That sounds gestapo-like to me

[dougdirt]

How do you keep someone from watching post March 27 video? That sounds gestapo-like to me

By telling them they can't do it and hoping they don't.

[dougdirt]

Submitted that last one too quickly. To expand on the thought from Sea Ray, though, it's a bit strange because I follow a lot of baseball players and baseball accounts on twitter. Pitchers specifically, are posting videos left and right of them throwing bullpens or doing workouts with various weighted baseballs. You can't expect a scout to just toss his phone or computer into the trash can because that video pops up. Now, the scout shouldn't be so stupid as to put in writing somewhere that he saw the video - but that dude is absolutely going to take mental note of what he saw and account for it down the road when arguing his team should/shouldn't select Twitter user THROWINGHEAT247.

[Kc61]

Submitted that last one too quickly. To expand on the thought from Sea Ray, though, it's a bit strange because I follow a lot of baseball players and baseball accounts on twitter. Pitchers specifically, are posting videos left and right of them throwing bullpens or doing workouts with various weighted baseballs. You can't expect a scout to just toss his phone or computer into the trash can because that video pops up. Now, the scout shouldn't be so stupid as to put in writing somewhere that he saw the video - but that dude is absolutely going to take mental note of what he saw and account for it down the road when arguing his team should/shouldn't select Twitter user THROWINGHEAT247.

I’d have to see the specific rule and examine its precise language. I doubt this is intended to prevent scouts from watching video available to all on public, social media.

Would seem, based on the context, that this is to avoid prospects sending current video to specific teams (and not to others). An attempt to maintain a degree of equal access given the limited opportunities in the current environment.

So, hypothetically, a prospect doesn’t want to share his current video with the Reds. He sends it privately to 29 other teams. Or, a prospect sends his current video only to the Yanks and Dodgers. Just a guess that that’s what they are trying to avoid.

May be hard to enforce but it seems like that’s the intent.

[JFLegal]

i don't get the only 5 rounds idea.

would be like the nfl draft only having the first round.

[JFLegal]

here is a good, level-headed read on how the changes to the mlb draft are shortsighted and will have major long-term negative consequences for baseball.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/m...-for-baseball/

[dougdirt]

i don't get the only 5 rounds idea.

would be like the nfl draft only having the first round.

It's a way to both save money and claim there's a legit reason to cut the number of teams in the farm system, which saves even more money.

[North]

here is a good, level-headed read on how the changes to the mlb draft are shortsighted and will have major long-term negative consequences for baseball.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/m...-for-baseball/

Thanks - excellent article.

[TNRED]

I don't really agree to cutting the draft down to 5 rounds but 40 rounds really is a stupid amount also. MLB, like the rest of America is headed into a time of great financial uncertainty. Teams will have to be conservative with their money because revenues will be uncertain and they have some mega contracts to pay out. TV revenue contracts may have to be renegotiated in light of the changing times and possible bankruptcies. Professional sports cannot continue to spend money like drunken sailors on shore leave

[Kc61]

The facts as I understand them.

The original plan for MILB reduction - announced last fall - suggested a permanent reduction to a draft of 20-25 rounds rather than 40. The recent statement (see article linked above) is consistent with this insofar as the 2021 draft could be cut as low as 20 rounds.

In light of the coronavirus, the 2020 draft will be reduced to “as few as five” rounds. That draft would take place, generally, in the next two to three months.

There is both an emergency element and a general desire to restructure. Not sure this is totally settled, let’s see how it develops.

[schroomytunes]

I still think the draft this year should be 10 rounds, not 5. In the future I'm ok with the draft being 20-25 rds, the majority of the players drafted after 25 never make it to the bigs and further clog up milb rosters. sure there may be a diamond there, but that's what indy ball is for. Also I do like the cap of 20,000 instead of 125,000 after rd 10, It lets us better utilize our funds at the big league level!!

[dougdirt]

Also I do like the cap of 20,000 instead of 125,000 after rd 10, It lets us better utilize our funds at the big league level!!

Gross.

Pay the players what they are worth, and it's a whole lot more than $20,000.

[kaldaniels]

Gross.

Pay the players what they are worth, and it's a whole lot more than $20,000.

I am totally behind paying players a fair living wage, but phrasing it as “pay them what they are worth” could be asking for trouble.

Many of these guys are placeholders used to fill rosters and there are guys who would line up to take their place. Sadly that diminishes their “worth.”

I’ll gladly listen if someone wants to explain how much a low minors guy is worth but I don’t think it ends well. I suppose one argument could be that 1 out of 200 late draft picks becomes a multi-million value worth player therefore we have to divide that amongst all late round picks, but I’m not sure I follow that logic.

Pay a fair living wage and leave it at that.