Report: MLB Shortens 2020 Draft to Five Rounds

The 2020 MLB draft will be just five rounds, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan and ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. 

The MLBA and MLBAPA underwent negotiations on a potential 10-round draft, but could not reach an agreement on the proposal. According to ESPN, the possible 10-round proposal prevented teams from using slot money from rounds six through 10 to compensate players in rounds one through five and additionally limited the number of undrafted players teams could add.

Per ESPN, all players who go undrafted in the 2020 draft will be eligible to sign for a maximum of $20,000.

According to Baseball America's J.J. Cooper, the draft is expected to take place between June 10 and July 20. MLB reportedly told its teams that they could expect to receive official word on the draft and most of its details a month before draft day.

In recent years, the MLB draft has lasted 40 rounds. 

The decision to shorten this year's draft follows a late-March report that the MLB and MLBPA reached an agreement on a deal pertaining to issues of service time, pay and the draft. 

As part of the previously reported agreement, the 2021 draft can be shortened to 20 rounds and the 2021-22 international signing period can be moved to anytime between January and December 2022.

Earlier this week, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that the league is expected to send its proposal on when the 2020 season will start to the MLBPA in the coming days.

At least a dozen teams have suggested to players that they "ramp up" baseball activities, according to ESPN, in preparation for a second spring training that could begin in mid-June. That could position MLB to begin its season in early July.

Other teams, however, have offered a more general timetable for when the season could start.