
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
Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him @jimcallisMLB and @jimcallis.bsky.social. Listen to him on the weekly MLB Pipeline Podcast.