DURHAM, N.C. -- The Prospect Development Pipeline, jointly operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) and USA Baseball, announced today a partnership with the East Coast Pro on the delivery of regionalized workout opportunities throughout the Eastern United States.

The Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) and East Coast Pro are amateur programs supported by MLB and the 30 Clubs. Both draw from a similar athlete pool and share a like-minded vision of delivering the highest caliber player experience for below market value. The regionalized events which will equate to PDP Premier events and East Coast Pro tryouts, will be conducted free of charge to the athletes who will attend on the basis of a direct invitation.

"We're thrilled to have an opportunity to partner with East Coast Pro, a program that's recognized as one of the very best in providing players with both exposure and a high level experience," said Rick Riccobono, Chief Development Officer at USA Baseball. "The alignment of programming that is directly affiliated with MLB and its Clubs has been encouraged by front offices across the league, and this is an impactful next step in that process."

"We are very excited to be working with USA Baseball and MLB on this project," said John Castleberry, the East Coast Crosschecker for the San Francisco Giants who oversees the running of the East Coast Pro annually. "We feel that the spirit of what we're trying to get accomplished will be great for baseball."

The joint events will include the on-field presence of Club scouts who are responsible for the selection of their East Coast Pro team from within the region in which each event is held. On-site player assessments will also include the full bevy of PDP athletic, performance vision and swing analysis metrics. The two parties will work on the roster composition on an event-by-event basis, but generally athletes will be in the immediate or upcoming draft class (age 16-18). The program will also continue the work both PDP and East Coast Pro have championed in offering opportunities to underserved players and two-sport athletes.

"The partnership with East Coast Pro is yet another encouraging sign of progress for the state of the amateur game," said Bill Bavasi, Sr. Director of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. "The increased involvement by MLB, the 30 Clubs and USA Baseball supports the Scouting Bureau's ability to provide a more formalized pathway and a first-class experience for the athletes. All combined, these are important steps in our collective effort to continue strengthening the amateur development and evaluation process."

East Coast Pro will retain full autonomy of any player selections for the East Coast Pro annual event, which in 2017 will once again be held at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. A full list of joint events will be published in the coming weeks.

The events will be supported by MLBAM, including comprehensive multimedia coverage via MLBPipeline.com, the official online destination for information on MLB prospects.