SAN DIEGO -- The unprecedented nature of the 2020 MLB Draft hasn't been lost on Padres general manager A.J. Preller. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's the first Draft to take place virtually and the first to take place without an amateur spring season.

So where does a general manager look for help as he prepares for a Draft that's the first of its kind? Turns out, there's one group of people that grasps the challenge.

"I actually talked to a few different GMs in the NFL to get their takeaways from the whole process," Preller said. "Obviously about the scouting process, without doing face-to-face things, tryouts, workouts, etc. We talked with some people from the NFL just how the Draft played out with their staff."

Preller wouldn't divulge which of his NFL counterparts he spoke with (though he noted he did not speak with Dave Gettleman of his "hometown Giants"). Suffice it to say, those GMs likely had some wisdom to offer -- the NFL completed its Draft in April in a virtual fashion similar to the format laid out by Major League Baseball.

The Padres will select at Nos. 8 and 34 on Day 1 of the Draft, which begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT on MLB Network and ESPN. They’ll make four more picks on Thursday as well.

It's unclear what, exactly, Preller gleaned from his calls with NFL GMs, but he addressed plenty of logistical concerns. Naturally, he and his staff have done their best to leave no stone unturned -- though there are obvious differences between the two sports.

"Different sports, so it's different mechanics," Preller said. "In the NFL Draft they've got trades of picks, so they've got their pro staff on the line."

Preller added that his internet has been "hit-or-miss" at home, so he will lead the Padres' virtual Draft room from Petco Park this week -- with requisite safety precautions in place. It's a familiar locale for Draft day, even if he won't be surrounded by his usual cadre of scouts and front office execs.

"The one difference is instead of having the Draft room, we'll be on the Zoom chat," Preller said. "We've had some practice over the past two months. Our crosscheck group and our regional [scouts] will be on the call, having our debates, enjoying the Draft and getting ready for the pick."

You know, just like any other Draft day -- except not at all.

‘A better opportunity to know players as people’
It's been three years since the Padres' wildly successful 2017 Draft netted MacKenzie Gore and Luis Campusano -- two of the sport's top pitching and catching prospects, respectively. That Draft class offers a stark reminder of the challenges facing teams this week.

Few players have ever boosted their stocks more with their spring performances. Campusano batted .622 with 13 doubles and six homers en route to winning state player of the year in Georgia. He might've been national player of the year, if not for Gore, who went 11-0 with a 0.19 ERA and 158 strikeouts to just five walks.

"Gore and Campusano are good examples of what a spring season can do for some players," said Padres scouting director Mark Conner. "Both of those guys elevated on our Draft board and other Draft boards throughout the spring."

Still, Conner was quick to note that his scouting group has plenty of data to work with from before the 2020 season. The Padres used that information to create preliminary lists, and they've spent their time since then talking extensively with prospects and the people they're close with. That process has some advantages, too, Conner said.

"Though we don't have that subset of actual time on the field playing this year, I think we actually had a better opportunity to know players as people and get to know their story, their background," Conner said. "We actually probably feel better about the makeup of the players we're getting this year."

Padres expect to spend bonus pool
The Padres expect to spend the full allotment of their bonus pool, despite economic concerns stemming from a pandemic-shortened season, Preller said. The Padres have a pool of $10,674,000 to spend, including $5,176,900 to spend on their first selection.

"We have the ability to spend our bonus pool," Preller said. "I think [executive chairman Ron Fowler] fully expects us to spend our bonus pool. ... He knows that the lifeblood of our organization is the Draft and making sure we have good young players that come through the system."

Preller also noted that the Padres have established a budget for non-drafted free agents, whose bonuses cannot exceed $20,000 this year. (Those bonuses do not count toward the Draft allotment.)

"We don't want to sign guys just to sign 'em," Preller said. "The system is strong, there's a lot of competition throughout the system. What we've talked to our group about is: It's got to be somebody that comes in and brings value -- either real performance value or somebody we feel like from a prospect standpoint can push somebody in the system."