First, the details
The five-round Draft will begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m., with both MLB Network and ESPN producing live coverage -- the first time more than one network will provide live primetime coverage of the event. The first night of coverage will span the first 37 picks, covering the first round and Competitive Balance Round A.
Coverage continues on Thursday, June 11 on MLB Network and ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and will pick up with the start of the second round (pick No. 38) and run through the end of the fifth and final round of this year’s Draft. There will be a total of 160 picks in the 2020 Draft.The Draft usually runs 40 rounds but was shortened this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team gets an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club’s selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. This year, with a five-round Draft, all signing bonuses will apply toward the bonus pool total.
Normally, any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round is also applied toward the total. This year, there is a $20,000 limit on bonuses for non-drafted free agents. There is no limit to the number of undrafted players teams may sign, but they cannot go over $20,000 per player. These bonuses do not count toward the bonus pool.
Now, the specifics
I still believe Anthony Servideo and Tyler Keenan are the two names to watch here. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the lack of a high school baseball season kept sleepers from emerging or names to fly up the draft board late -- something that has hammered Ole Miss in past years. I guess it's possible a team tries to grab one of the JUCO transfers on the roster in the free agent portion, but I don't see anyone signing for $20,000.
I'm keeping an eye on these high school signees but I don't expect anything to happen.
Kemp Alderman - 1B, No. 46
Calvin Harris - C, No. 91
Jacob Gonzalez - SS, No. 131
TJ McCants - SS, No. 138
Josh Mallitz - RHP , No. 461
I think Austin Miller and Taylor Broadway are both back, though it's always worth keeping an eye on seniors. There's no leverage next year, so a club could grab their attention.
I think Anthony Servideo goes somewhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds. That's what I continuously hear on him. I'll say his signability comes into question with the latter part of that projection, and he's wanting a higher number than the fourth round would provide at slot, but I don't want you to count on that being a deciding factor. I think he'll get drafted and sign. I'll just add that he doesn't strike me as someone eager to come off the number. I'll be curious to see if a team saves some cash elsewhere and offers him a little over slot.
I've said throughout that Keenan is the most interesting to me, and that remains so as it's a day or two away. I'll be surprised by anything before the fourth round for Keenan, though remember it's not in a vacuum. One pick by one team can alter the picks for 15 different teams, so things get off script in a hurry.
Watch out for the Astros and the Orioles picking in the fourth and fifth rounds. I think those are the most likely landing spots if he's taken going into the event.
Ole Miss needs to avoid surprises and keep everything intact outside of Keenan and Servideo and then maybe they get a good surprise by the end of the week.
The five-round Draft will begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m., with both MLB Network and ESPN producing live coverage -- the first time more than one network will provide live primetime coverage of the event. The first night of coverage will span the first 37 picks, covering the first round and Competitive Balance Round A.
Coverage continues on Thursday, June 11 on MLB Network and ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and will pick up with the start of the second round (pick No. 38) and run through the end of the fifth and final round of this year’s Draft. There will be a total of 160 picks in the 2020 Draft.The Draft usually runs 40 rounds but was shortened this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team gets an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club’s selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. This year, with a five-round Draft, all signing bonuses will apply toward the bonus pool total.
Normally, any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round is also applied toward the total. This year, there is a $20,000 limit on bonuses for non-drafted free agents. There is no limit to the number of undrafted players teams may sign, but they cannot go over $20,000 per player. These bonuses do not count toward the bonus pool.
Now, the specifics
I still believe Anthony Servideo and Tyler Keenan are the two names to watch here. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the lack of a high school baseball season kept sleepers from emerging or names to fly up the draft board late -- something that has hammered Ole Miss in past years. I guess it's possible a team tries to grab one of the JUCO transfers on the roster in the free agent portion, but I don't see anyone signing for $20,000.
I'm keeping an eye on these high school signees but I don't expect anything to happen.
Kemp Alderman - 1B, No. 46
Calvin Harris - C, No. 91
Jacob Gonzalez - SS, No. 131
TJ McCants - SS, No. 138
Josh Mallitz - RHP , No. 461
I think Austin Miller and Taylor Broadway are both back, though it's always worth keeping an eye on seniors. There's no leverage next year, so a club could grab their attention.
I think Anthony Servideo goes somewhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds. That's what I continuously hear on him. I'll say his signability comes into question with the latter part of that projection, and he's wanting a higher number than the fourth round would provide at slot, but I don't want you to count on that being a deciding factor. I think he'll get drafted and sign. I'll just add that he doesn't strike me as someone eager to come off the number. I'll be curious to see if a team saves some cash elsewhere and offers him a little over slot.
I've said throughout that Keenan is the most interesting to me, and that remains so as it's a day or two away. I'll be surprised by anything before the fourth round for Keenan, though remember it's not in a vacuum. One pick by one team can alter the picks for 15 different teams, so things get off script in a hurry.
Watch out for the Astros and the Orioles picking in the fourth and fifth rounds. I think those are the most likely landing spots if he's taken going into the event.
Ole Miss needs to avoid surprises and keep everything intact outside of Keenan and Servideo and then maybe they get a good surprise by the end of the week.
