MLB To Cut Rounds Of Upcoming Draft

NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball will cut its amateur draft from 40 rounds to five this year, a move that figures to save teams about $30 million. A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that clubs gained the ability to reduce the draft as part of their March 26 agreement with the players’ association and MLB plans to finalize a decision next week to go with the minimum. The 160 players drafted would be by far the fewest since the annual selection started in 1965. The amount of signing bonus pool money eliminated is over $29 million.