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What is MLB Draft League? Fans ask if it pays players and whether this is the end of Cape Cod Summer League

Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, Trenton Thunder, West Virginia Black Bears and Williamsport Crosscutters are brought in as the founding five clubs with a sixth to be added

There's a new update on the block as Major Leaguer Baseball announced that it has paired up with Prep Baseball Report to form the MLB Draft League, a novel summer league that provides the nation's top draft-eligible players a chance to take part in the 68-game season starting next year. The Draft League will be spearheaded by MLB scout, Kerrick Jackson, the former head coach at Southern University.

According to the statement, former minor league affiliate teams — the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the State College Spikes, the Trenton Thunder, the West Virginia Black Bears, and the Williamsport Crosscutters are currently brought in as the founding five clubs with a sixth to be added in the near future. The announcement also added that the game schedule will comprise of an All-Star break that is centered around the draft, meaning the idea is for the games to keep happening as the players have been drafted. It also means the big league scouts can watch the games to evaluate prospects. Jackson plans to kickstart the league in early June and through August. The mission is to attract as much top draft-eligible talent.

The initial aim is to have a six-team league with 30 players on the roster. This adds up to 180 roster spots in the league's first version and based on the progress, the MLB may look at the addition of new teams. What his league does is give the world a look at potential red-hot talent and recognition. The move has gained some traction on social media as fans shared their two cents worth soon after the announcement. From players being paid to exposure, there were a lot of questions asked such as, "How will this work with the college world series? Will those draft-eligible players not be a part of this league? Hopefully that's the case and those teams don't lose their best players," by one of the fans.

And the reception by some wasn't really positive. "So in other words MLB just nuked the Cape Cod league- call it what it is. Oh and instead of being a wholesome summer development league you added it to your machine (which you broke by consolidating the minors)- horrible," read one of the tweets.

The big question was the payment. "How do players get paid if they are still amateurs? Did they forfeit their status to play in this? If PBR is involved, then the kids probably have to pay their own as in all the criminal "showcases" put on across the nation," one of the comments read.

"If the league's design revolves around player development or opportunities for underprivileged players...it makes some sense. If it's designed around exposure, it will in essence be another effort to reduce MLB amateur scouts," opined a fan.

"I think the Draft League is college wood and they will work with the Cape Cod League as well. They are going to break it down by different classes. Appy League-Fresh/Sophs, I believe Cape Cod Juniors and MLB Draft league seniors. Could be wrong though," said one of the tweets.