2020 MLB News Thread

[ThomasTomasz]

Stickied thread for all minor news, transactions, etc during the 2020 season. As mods/admins, we reserve the right to split out topics into their own threads if they are gaining a lot of traction as far as posts/discussion goes.

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[SfgiantsJD3]

Vin Scully was hospitalized, here is hoping he is well enough soon to get out of the hospital and away from the COVID-91 folks

[zookman65]

Vin Scully was hospitalized, here is hoping he is well enough soon to get out of the hospital and away from the COVID-91 folks

Has anyone checked on Tommy Lasorda? Lasorda is older than Vin Sculley. Who had Tommy Lasorda making it well into his 90s???

[ThomasTomasz]

Has anyone checked on Tommy Lasorda? Lasorda is older than Vin Sculley. Who had Tommy Lasorda making it well into his 90s???

True that. He also did quite a bit of travel last year. I was in Texas for Beltre's number retirement, and Lasorda signed him and was one of the guests they brought in. He was also in Baltimore for the Dodgers series against the Orioles.

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[GasMan]

Gonna be a 5 round draft. How does this effect strategy? Does this make HS players more valuable (college players not picked in the five rounds will have less leverage and will likely be cheaper) or do more HS guys opt to go to college (whatever that is gonna look like) and hope to get drafted in a more normal draft?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ft-40-rounds-5

[ThomasTomasz]

Gonna be a 5 round draft. How does this effect strategy? Does this make HS players more valuable (college players not picked in the five rounds will have less leverage and will likely be cheaper) or do more HS guys opt to go to college (whatever that is gonna look like) and hope to get drafted in a more normal draft?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ft-40-rounds-5

I think the biggest thing will be the last round or two. After the draft, there is no limit to how many players a team can sign- the maximum is $20,000 bonuses. While some of those players might go to college, or head back to college, teams may draft one player out of a group of friends or local players to try and entice them to stick together as a group and sign with the organization after the draft.

[GasMan]

I just wonder if teams go hard after HS players knowing that college players without more options won’t have leverage to not take the 20k. Even if they get players that choose to go to college hoping for a better draft situation in the future, teams can just use that money to lure others into accepting an offer.

I also wonder how college kids taking the 20k are gonna evaluate what teams to accept offers. Are big names gonna be more successful? Are teams with thinner prospect lists and more opportunity to advance quicker gonna be more successful? Are players gonna go hometown?

Should be interesting.

[SiteWolf]

The slot value for a 6th round pick has been like 300k....and last year's 1st 6th round pick (who wouldn't BE drafted this year) got 250k of that in a signing bonus...and now the same guy would get 20k?

I guess I'm not really understanding the reasoning in shortening the draft THIS much.....isn't it just going to allow teams who can to sign a lot more undrafted talent? Doesn't this just fly in the face of parity and the whole purpose OF a draft?

[GasMan]

The slot value for a 6th round pick has been like 300k....and last year's 1st 6th round pick (who wouldn't BE drafted this year) got 250k of that in a signing bonus...and now the same guy would get 20k?

I guess I'm not really understanding the reasoning in shortening the draft THIS much.....isn't it just going to allow teams who can to sign a lot more undrafted talent? Doesn't this just fly in the face of parity and the whole purpose OF a draft?

Should be good for college ball, just not sure they can tell guys looking to stay their last year or guys coming out of HS what college baseball is gonna look like next year. Could also make next couple years of the draft deeper.

[ThomasTomasz]

I just wonder if teams go hard after HS players knowing that college players without more options won’t have leverage to not take the 20k. Even if they get players that choose to go to college hoping for a better draft situation in the future, teams can just use that money to lure others into accepting an offer.

I also wonder how college kids taking the 20k are gonna evaluate what teams to accept offers. Are big names gonna be more successful? Are teams with thinner prospect lists and more opportunity to advance quicker gonna be more successful? Are players gonna go hometown?

Should be interesting.

The college bit is hard to predict. How many baseball programs will be affected by Covid-19 and possibly shut their doors entirely? The current rule in the MLB draft is that you can be drafted out of high school, but if you commit to college, you can't be drafted until three years later.

Unless that is changed, or a provision is added, I can see a lot more people wanting to enter MLB. But if the minor leagues are contracted from this as well, that proves problematic in another way.

Lots of unknowns.

[WOwolfOL]

Starling Marte's wife was in the hospital for a broken ankle and ended up passing from a heart attack. I can't even imagine...

So tragic

[SfgiantsJD3]

Starling Marte's wife was in the hospital for a broken ankle and ended up passing from a heart attack. I can't even imagine...

So tragic

RIP.
wonder if she had a clot break lose

[goingfor28]

Manny looking oooold