For cost reasons, the MLB makers are cutting a full 35 rounds in the draft planned for June. The league wants to compensate for the massive loss of income.
Due to the Corona crisis, the MLB plans to reduce its player draft from 40 to five rounds this year – that means a full 35 rounds will be cancelled!
This would save the teams around 30 million US dollars, the news agency AP reported. Among other things, the teams would then no longer have to pay a bonus (up to 100,000 dollars) when signing the contract.
Instead, an unlimited number of players, who were not drafted then, can be brought in for a salary of 20,000 dollars.
This step is intended to reduce costs and compensate for loss of income, a final decision is expected in the second week of May.
As few players in the MLB draft as in 1965
At the draft in June, the MLB professional teams pick amateur baseball players one after the other.
This time only 160 players are to participate, by far the fewest since the annual selection began in 1965.
The MLB season was supposed to start at the end of March, but the start was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.