Shortened 2020 MLB Draft Presents Challenges For Players And Teams
BOSTON (CBS) -- The MLB Draft is supposed to open the door for thousands of prospective players to start their journey to a pro career. That will not be the case in 2020.
The MLB Draft has been cut down from 40 rounds to just five this year, presenting a new set of challenges for the players hoping to get drafted and the teams making the picks.
"It's a strange situation this year. The [college] season came to a close after 15 games," said Ian Fair, a Walpole native and redshirt sophomore at Northeastern. "It was tough for everyone."
"We were only able to scout four college weekends. Many of the high school seniors, we didn't see in their spring seasons," explained Red Sox scouting director Paul Toboni. "It's difficult, and there's probably just a lot more uncertainty."
Uncertainty indeed. After the picks are made, all the leftover college and high school kids will become free agents, free to sign with any team for $20,000. Anyone who doesn't want to sign can go to college.
"I think if I were to get drafted in the five rounds, I'd definitely take it," said Northeastern junior Brandon Dufault, a right-handed pitcher for the Huskies. "That's just an opportunity that you can't pass up."
Most of the kids won't get drafted, so it's either return to school or go pro. It's a decision that Boston College seniors have discussed with their head coach Mike Gambino.
"He said if a team's going to pay you $20,000 you should do it, but only if the team is going to value you," said BC senior outfielder Joe Suozzi. "You don't want a team that's going to have you in as a filler. But if the team is going to value you and they have a plan for you, then I'm willing to take the chance and go on and play minor league baseball."
As for the Red Sox, they have lost their second-round pick from the 2018 video replay scandal, leaving Chaim Bloom with just four selections this year. When the team is done making their picks, Toboni becomes a recruiter/salesman. He has many points to highlight as he pitches the franchise to prospective players.
"The history of it, the tradition [of Red Sox baseball], how we develop players, the family culture we have," Toboni lists. "Our facilities and the amount of money we put into strength and conditioning, the technology and making our players better, and to a certain extent, the Red Sox brand carries a weight unto itself."
But this year, with the gigantic pool of undrafted free agents, he'll have a new set of challenges.
"Trying to properly game plan is challenging because it's tough to predict who's going to get drafted," Toboni continued. "But what we can control is outworking other teams and making a good pitch on the Red Sox behalf, hopefully providing them with an option that if they do want to play pro ball, they're picking the Red Sox and not the Yankees."
Toboni himself would be impressed by the Red Sox' operation if he was a 21-year-old free agent.
"That brand and just seeing the Green Monster on Sunday Night Baseball would have a huge impact on me," he admitted. "I might be thinking a little bit too optimistically there, but I do think it plays a really big part."
Toboni says he doesn't have a number in mind as far as how many undrafted free agents the Red Sox may sign, but added that a lot of it will depend on the quality of the players available.
