All 160 Draft picks sign
There will be absolutely no signing drama following the shortest Draft ever. All 160 players selected agreed to contracts by last Friday, eight days in advance of the Aug. 1 deadline.
The 30 clubs combined to spend $238,092,829 on bonuses in a Draft abbreviated to five rounds. Under rule modifications agreed to by MLB and the MLB Players Associations, teams can pay no more than $100,000 up front to 2020 draftees, meaning they'll shell out no more than $15,433,500 on Draft bonuses this year. Half of the remainder is due to be paid in July 2021 and the other half in July 2022.
Clubs spent a record $316,560,984 on bonuses in 2019, when the Draft consisted of 40 rounds. For comparison's sake, teams paid out slightly more to 160 choices in five rounds in 2020 than the $237,345,700 they did to 167 selections in the first five rounds a year ago.
Arizona State corner infielder Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick, broke the all-time Draft bonus record by signing with the Tigers for $8,416,300, surpassing the $8.1 million Adley Rutschman received from the Orioles a year ago. The Padres eclipsed the third-round bonus mark for the second straight year, giving Georgia right-hander Cole Wilcox $3.3 million a year after paying Hudson Head $3 million in 2019. East Tennessee State righty Landon Knack established what is believed to be a new standard for fifth-year seniors by signing with the Dodgers for $712,500 in the second round.
Eight teams topped $10 million in Draft bonus expenditures, led by Detroit at $13,978,600. Here’s the complete list of team-by-team spending:
Tigers: $13,978,600
Orioles: $13,672,300
Royals: $12,520,000
Marlins: $12,004,700
Padres: $11,180,004
Pirates: $11,067,400
Rockies: $10,332,800
Blue Jays: $10,202,325
Mariners: $9,961,100
Giants: $9,457,500
Reds: $8,546,000
Cardinals: $8,290,000
White Sox: $7,757,500
Mets: $7,499,000
Rays: $7,474,200
Indians: $7,390,000
Rangers: $7,275,000
Diamondbacks: $7,184,900
Cubs: $6,866,800
Nationals: $6,647,000
Angels: $6,454,200
Dodgers: $6,224,000
Phillies: $5,700,000
Athletics: $5,447,400
Brewers: $5,417,900
Red Sox: $5,250,000
Twins: $4,330,000
Braves: $3,991,800
Yankees: $3,687,400
Astros: $2,283,000