Morning Mound Visit: 2021 Draft to take place during All-Star Break

With all the trades happening ahead of yesterday’s deadline, the news that the 2021 draft will happen in July rather than June got lost in the scrum. Baseball America was the first to report the news.

It appears that MLB is pushing the draft back for marketing reasons. Holding the draft during the All-Star Break removes much of the event’s competition. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN also reported that the longer gap between the end of the college season and the draft will allow for showcases and other promotional events.

Per the March agreement, the 2021 MLB Draft will be a minimum of 20 rounds. With MLB hellbent on contracting 40+ minor league teams, it seems unlikely it would be longer than that.

Michael Baumann | The Ringer: The Padres were extremely aggressive ahead of the trade deadline, and when the dust settles, San Diego didn’t have to risk much. They held onto their top-four prospects and kept their major league roster mostly intact.

Matt Schlichting | Let’s Go Tribe: Cleveland went quantity over quality when trading Mike Clevinger. That doesn’t mean there’s no quality there. Josh Naylor, one of the many players they brought back, provides plenty of reason to get excited.

Kate Preusser | Lookout Landing: Taylor Trammell has been traded for the second time in two seasons, and soon, he’ll be bringing his talent (and fun) to Seattle.