MLB ‘motivated’ to hold scouting combine ahead of 2021 draft; here’s what the event could look like

MLB gained the right to host a combine or combine-like event in either 2020 or 2021 last March, as part of its agreement with the MLB Players Association. (MLB also gained the power to reduce the draft in both years, with last year’s checking in at five rounds and this year’s requiring at least 20 rounds.) The sources who spoke to CBS Sports in recent days provided an outline of the league’s vision and potential adjacent plans. Here are some details:

A 2021 MLB Draft combine would likely be hosted in Cary, North Carolina, home of the USA Baseball National Training Complex, and would take place in June.

The combine would allow for medical testing and some person-to-person interaction.

It’s unclear who MLB intends to invite to the event or how many prospects would attend, but it would take place almost simultaneously with a high school tournament hosted by USA Baseball and MLB. That tournament would also be played at the training complex. College players would likely arrive a day or two after play began, one source said.

2021 MLB Draft order to be set by 2020 standings, per report; Pirates get No. 1 pick, Red Sox in top five

Major League Baseball has decided that the final draft order for 2021will be determined by reverse order of the 2020 final standings, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports. That’s the typical way of ordering draft selections, and for some time it’s been believed that MLB would go that route.

The March agreement between MLB and the players association gave commissioner Rob Manfred has the right to modify the draft order rather than let the 60-game 2020 regular season determine it as usual, which led to speculation that MLB might depart from the usual format.

The 2021 draft order is set.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Texas Rangers
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Baltimore Orioles
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
7. Kansas City Royals
8. Colorado Rockies
9. Los Angeles Angels
10. New York Mets

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— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 12, 2020