Scott Boras Slams MLB's 2020 Coronavirus Draft Plan; Says it Hurts Young Players

Longtime baseball agent Scott Boras said MLB's decision to freeze the signing bonus pool for drafted players while also requiring them to accept deferred bonus money over the next two years "sends the wrong message" amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Boras told Bob Nightengale of USA Today he believes the league is unfairly using the COVID-19 crisis to take advantage of incoming prospects.

"It is amazing to me when our nation is in a position of peril that one of the attack points always continues to be the poor drafted players," he said Friday. "For owners to do this to these young men, who are so passionate about baseball, is something that they need to examine their conscience."

Boras added the decision, which was included as part of MLB's agreement with the Players Association about how to handle the indefinitely delayed 2020 season, will cause more young players to forgo opportunities to join an MLB system in favor of attending college.

"I just think in this climate and this environment, you should keep the status quo," he told Nightengale. "You're sending a message to drafted players you are Major League Baseball's step-child. It's unconscionable to me for that small amount of money. We're talking about a whopping $6 million savings over the whole damn draft."

Other short-term changes to the draft process include giving MLB the option to reduce the 2020 draft from 40 rounds to five and limiting undrafted players' maximum signing bonus to $20,000. The 2021 draft can also be trimmed down to 20 rounds.

"In reality, you are going to be surrounding [established] players with less-caliber players now," Boras told USA Today. "They need 10 rounds to fill their minor-leagues teams with talent. A sixth-round high school talent is a good player. An eighth-rounder out of college is a good player. They can be All-Star players. Now, they'll be back in school. Really, we're not giving them much of a choice."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement Thursday, which was originally scheduled as Opening Day for the 2020 campaign, saying the league planned to help the country recover from the coronavirus pandemic once it was safe to do so.

"Throughout our history, baseball has helped us get through difficult times," he said. "Baseball will continue to be here for you as we face these challenges together as a community and we look forward to when we can safely get back on the field and hear the words, 'Play Ball.'"

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the sides didn't agree on a date for a potential return to action, but they're hopeful of reopening camps in late May with games starting in June. They'll then play as many contests as possible with the use of doubleheaders and extending the season into October with the playoffs into November.

That said, if the decision is ultimately made to cancel the entire season, active players will accrue a year of service time. So it's possible players who switched teams with one year on their contract, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, may never play for the club, per Passan.

Meanwhile, MLB announced it has made all games from the 2018 and 2019 seasons available to fans on MLB.TV for free while the current campaign is on hold.