In October, news broke of a dramatic plan from MLB to overhaul the minor leagues. Among the proposed changes at the time, the most noteworthy were:
- Cutting affiliation ties with 42 current MiLB clubs.
- Move the amateur draft back to August, after the College World Series concluded, and cut the draft to 20-25 rounds.
- Doing away with short-season ball, sending all new draftees to the team’s spring training complex and not assigning them an affiliate until the following season. (This is common practice with international amateur signees, as player contract years - and Rule-5 eligibility -do not start counting until they are officially assigned to a minor league level, so it would squeeze an extra year of contract control out of draftees for teams.