Report: MLB to Hold 2020 Draft Remotely amid COVID-19 Pandemic
May 15, 2020
Major League Baseball has informed all 30 teams that its 2020 draft will be held remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a memo from the league obtained by ESPN's Jeff Passan, teams will do their drafting by video conference and aren't permitted to have draft rooms.
Passan noted the memo did say this could change as the draft date approaches.
According to Passan, the memo states the head of baseball operations for each team will be sent a video IT and be shown on camera with no audio throughout the draft.
The setup will be similar to what the NFL used in April for its 2020 draft, which featured clips of head coaches and general managers working from home and Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the picks as they came in.
This year's format will be significantly different from a typical draft. There will only be five rounds—instead of 40—and teams will only be able to offer undrafted players a maximum $20,000 signing bonus, per Passan and ESPN colleague Kiley McDaniel.
The draft will take place over two days, with the first round and Competitive Balance Round A on June 11. Rounds 2-5 will be held the next day.
