BA: MLB is targeting an international draft, as soon as 2020. w/ hard caps, rotating top picks

soxhop411

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BA has details on how the international draft could work, such as hard caps and rotating top 5 picks (by division)
Based on what MLB told team personnel yesterday, the most recent draft concept would be 20 rounds, with teams allowed to trade picks. Every pick would have a hard slot value, so if a team drafts a player and the slot value is $1 million, that player would sign for $1 million. Picks in the top three rounds would be protected for clubs, so if a team drafted a player in one of those rounds who didn't sign, it would potentially receive compensation in the following year's draft.

After the 20th round, teams can sign nondrafted free agents for up to $25,000. The age when players become eligible to sign would still be 16. However, while the current system centers around July 2, the annual opening of the international signing period, the draft would be held in August.
One of the bigger twists in MLB's latest draft concept is the draft order. Instead of replicating the order of the June draft, which would reward the team with the worst record the previous season with two No. 1 overall draft picks, the teams picking at the top of the draft would rotate annually by division. So one year, for example, the teams in the National League East would get the top five overall picks. The next year another division would get the top five picks, and it would rotate every six years.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-targeting-international-draft-as-soon-as-2020/
More at the link.
 

DeadlySplitter

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I dunno about that draft order. If a prime prospect becomes draftable, you have no chance if he isn't in a certain year. Just do a weighted lottery.
 

Boggs26

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I dunno about that draft order. If a prime prospect becomes draftable, you have no chance if he isn't in a certain year. Just do a weighted lottery.
It also means that an already good team is guaranteed a top 5 prospect every year. Imagine if the AL East was this year's division - Orioles, Jays, Sox, Rays, Yankees as the top 5? 2 of the best international prospects in the world would go too the Sox and Yankees? Sports radio would break...
 

shoosh77

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Let’s just go full fantasy draft, auction style. Team nominates a kid, all teams bid with a set budget to work from. That may actually draw in viewers and the best kids should get the larger bonuses. And for teams that do their due diligence scouting, they can hope to hold out on some names to get when others are done splurging.
 

Ale Xander

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Drafting based on division seems dumb.

Also don't like the draft slot set amounts. I'm a capitalist (and fan of a large market team).

I'd just rather see 2 drafts, domestic and international with "same" rules, or 1 draft and have international kids go into the "regular" draft.
They can do it weighted, fine, but not this based on division thing. Very arbitrary. Kid can't choose when he was born.
 

ookami7m

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I think that's a feature. Baseball needs to stop rewarding teams for losing.
I get what you're saying but tanking in baseball isn't as effective as it is in say the other Big 3 sports where the top one or two picks are almost always immediate jumps to starters. The Cubs and Astros are obviously the poster children for having a couple of terrible years, doing good work in the draft to identify players and then rebuilding from the inside. You could say Tampa is the same way but with less end game success.

But just sustained losing doesn't guarantee success you can see the Orioles or Marlins for that case.

If you don't give an advantage to the teams who are trying to get better then you will see the superpowers mentality grow even more than it has.

The Twins aren't breaking the predictions of everyone this year without good drafting and scouting (and a little luck that Cleveland is shitting the bed as bad as the Sox are).
 

jon abbey

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It also means that an already good team is guaranteed a top 5 prospect every year. Imagine if the AL East was this year's division - Orioles, Jays, Sox, Rays, Yankees as the top 5? 2 of the best international prospects in the world would go too the Sox and Yankees? Sports radio would break...
Actually that would mean at least the Orioles would get someone, which they haven't done/tried to do in years (the new administration will change this but it takes some time). Look at where this month's class actually signed, I doubt there was a single complaint on sports radio even though a lot of these teams seem to be the perennial powerhouses:

Top 30 Prospects:
1) Jasson Dominguez, OF, Dominican Republic -- Yankees ($5,100,000) # More »
2) Robert Puason, SS, Dominican Republic -- Athletics ($5,100,000) # More »
3) Bayron Lora, OF, Dominican Republic -- Rangers ($4,200,000) More »
4) Luis Rodriguez, OF, Venezuela -- Dodgers ($2,667,500) More »
5) Erick Pena, OF, Dominican Republic -- Royals ($3,800,000) # More »
6) Ronnier Quintero, C, Dominican Republic -- Cubs ($2,900,000) More »
7) Yiddi Cappe, SS, Cuba
8) Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Dominican Republic -- Twins ($2,500,000) More »
9) Arol Vera, SS, Venezuela -- Angels ($2,000,000) More »
10) Jose Salas, SS, Venezuela -- Marlins ($2,800,000) # More »
11) Kevin Made, SS, Dominican Republic -- Cubs ($1,500,000) More »
12) Adael Amador, SS, Dominican Republic -- Rockies ($1,500,000) More »
13) Luis Medina, OF, Venezuela -- Brewers ($1,300,000) More »
14) Dauri Lorenzo, SS, Dominican Republic -- Astros ($1,800,000) # More »
15) Ismael Mena, OF, Dominican Republic -- Padres ($2,200,000) # More »
16) Andry Lara, RHP, Venezuela -- Nationals ($1,250,000) More »
17) Maximo Acosta, SS, Venezuela -- Rangers ($1,650,000) More »
18) Jhon Diaz, OF, Dominican Republic -- Yankees ($1,200,000) More »
 

johnnyfromspain

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The self righteousness implied by even thinking about an international draft is appalling. What rights does any MLB franchise have over a young man from Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Venezuela or even Dominican Republic, for that matter? They will never be able to uphold their rights over a Japanese player which is part of the Nippon league. What jurisdictions do they have beyond US borders? None, that is why all player contracts with affiliated organisations are held to NY laws. MLB officials could not be more arrogant by implying they are thinking of an international draft. Incredible!
This is not going to happen. Ever.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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The self righteousness implied by even thinking about an international draft is appalling. What rights does any MLB franchise have over a young man from Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Venezuela or even Dominican Republic, for that matter? They will never be able to uphold their rights over a Japanese player which is part of the Nippon league. What jurisdictions do they have beyond US borders? None, that is why all player contracts with affiliated organisations are held to NY laws. MLB officials could not be more arrogant by implying they are thinking of an international draft. Incredible!
This is not going to happen. Ever.
I'm assuming that to be eligible for the draft, the player must declare himself for the draft (like college players in basketball and football). Teams won't be able to draft a player who has no desire to play MLB. Or even if they did, it would only restrict where the player can play in MLB (or affiliated minor leagues), not prevent him from playing in Netherlands or Australia or wherever.

I also assume that draft rights wouldn't last forever. In other words, if the Rangers draft a 16-year-old out of the DR, and he chooses not to sign, they don't still retain his rights when he's a 20-year-old looking to move out of the Australian pro league or something. It's like when teams draft a high school kid that decides to go to college. The kid doesn't remain theirs, he plays college ball for three years then goes back into the draft.
 

johnnyfromspain

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I'm assuming that to be eligible for the draft, the player must declare himself for the draft (like college players in basketball and football). Teams won't be able to draft a player who has no desire to play MLB. Or even if they did, it would only restrict where the player can play in MLB (or affiliated minor leagues), not prevent him from playing in Netherlands or Australia or wherever.

I also assume that draft rights wouldn't last forever. In other words, if the Rangers draft a 16-year-old out of the DR, and he chooses not to sign, they don't still retain his rights when he's a 20-year-old looking to move out of the Australian pro league or something. It's like when teams draft a high school kid that decides to go to college. The kid doesn't remain theirs, he plays college ball for three years then goes back into the draft.
I suppose you are right. At least it makes sense, and makes the whole process more transparent for all parties involved. On another note, what must be analysed is the amount of 13 year olds in the DR and Venezuela who are dropping out of school and training full time at private "academias" in order to be signed at the age of 16. Very sad.
 

Boggs26

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Actually that would mean at least the Orioles would get someone, which they haven't done/tried to do in years (the new administration will change this but it takes some time).
Yes, but the point of a draft with hard slots would be to stop those top teams from doing that. By guaranteeing that at least one top team gets a top 5 pick every year, they are at least partially defeating the purpose. If that's not MLB's goal, then I'm not sure what the point of a draft actually is.


As for the sports radio comment, I don't think international signings get much play because the system is somewhat haphazard, once it's organized into a draft, with MLB likely pumping it up, I think there'll be more discussion.
 

In my lifetime

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The self righteousness implied by even thinking about an international draft is appalling. What rights does any MLB franchise have over a young man from Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Venezuela or even Dominican Republic, for that matter? They will never be able to uphold their rights over a Japanese player which is part of the Nippon league. What jurisdictions do they have beyond US borders? None, that is why all player contracts with affiliated organisations are held to NY laws. MLB officials could not be more arrogant by implying they are thinking of an international draft. Incredible!
This is not going to happen. Ever.
We don't have the exact details yet, but every other major sport league drafts internationally so you are not exactly breaking new ground.
 

shaggydog2000

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We don't have the exact details yet, but every other major sport league drafts internationally so you are not exactly breaking new ground.
And those drafts don't prevent those players from playing in other countries. Or even rival leagues in the case of the NFL when they had one. Contracts would, but not draft rights.
 

Earthbound64

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The self righteousness implied by even thinking about an international draft is appalling. What rights does any MLB franchise have over a young man from Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Venezuela or even Dominican Republic, for that matter? They will never be able to uphold their rights over a Japanese player which is part of the Nippon league. What jurisdictions do they have beyond US borders? None, that is why all player contracts with affiliated organisations are held to NY laws. MLB officials could not be more arrogant by implying they are thinking of an international draft. Incredible!
This is not going to happen. Ever.
What an odd take.

If a player wants to play in MLB, they play by MLB rules.
If they don't want to play in MLB, they can do whatever the heck they want.

Seriously, did you misread the article or something?

On reading your post again, the only way your post makes sense is if you thought that the MLB international draft would prevent players from playing in other leagues - which it doesn't, couldn't, there's nothing indicating that to be suggested, and I have no clue how anyone could have thought that would be the case, but it's the only way your post would make sense. Since, otherwise it doesn't connect to anything.
 

PudgeFIST

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Aug 19, 2016
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From your handle i'll assume you really are from Spain so maybe you feel lie you need to be protective and rally against
"American Arrogance". OK, i get it.

However, baseball players aren't mythical creatures that go to America and spread magic dust from town to town.
If you come to America to play baseball, you are coming to take a JOB, aka WORK.
The right to work in the US, as a non citizen, is not guaranteed. You need to somehow EARN the right to work here.
Well, legally work here, that is.

Therefore, we can technically do just about anything we damn well please if a non citizen wants a job here.
(this isn't an immigration rant, i'm just saying....)
In this case, the union will have a say, but as these kids are non union, non citzens, i'm not sure what they can do.

I've had the same conversation with friends about the (typically Boras controlled) Top Draft picks in the standard draft
who wanted a gazillion dollars or complain about the terms/constrictions.
They are welcome to go play in Japan. They are welcome to go play in Korea, they are welcome to go play in Mexico.
With the point being that MLB is not the only place one can go and make good money playing professional baseball.
If they don't like the rules that a company(MLB) has put forth as part of employment, they can choose to work elsewhere,
as can any one of us(circumstances requiring us to sell our souls aside)

Honestly i know its not a simple answer to the question of an international draft.
I'm for a draft to keep the rich teams from buying the best players.
Sox included. ANd the idea of rotating divisions is just dumb. I'd rather have an unweighted lottery.


The self righteousness implied by even thinking about an international draft is appalling. What rights does any MLB franchise have over a young man from Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Venezuela or even Dominican Republic, for that matter? They will never be able to uphold their rights over a Japanese player which is part of the Nippon league. What jurisdictions do they have beyond US borders? None, that is why all player contracts with affiliated organisations are held to NY laws. MLB officials could not be more arrogant by implying they are thinking of an international draft. Incredible!
This is not going to happen. Ever.