The 2021 MLB Rule 5 draft has been “postponed indefinitely,” and teams are not allowed to sign, release, or trade players until a new CBA is reached.
With this week’s lockout coming as no surprise, most teams worked with players to develop routines and offseason plans prior to Thursday’s shutdown.
Assuming at least three weeks of spring training are needed, a CBA must be agreed upon by the first week of March to avoid any possibility of regular season delays or cancellations.
If the lockout continues into the 2022 season, MLB players would not be paid during the work stoppage.
The league has proposed a 14-team playoff where division winners choose their opponents in a three-game wild-card matchup, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
An international draft, ditching the bonus pool system in which the Jays signed Gabriel Moreno and Vlad Guerrero Jr., has been discussed.