Note to league if you think the MLBPA is too powerful then stop giving them power.

I wasn't aware this was high on the MLBPA's list of things to fight...

How long until Boras fully branches out to Dominican sandlots?

It wouldn't stun me if the system of Dominican scouting wasn't quite as efficient as possible, leaving good players on the island, and sending shitty middle infielders to the US. So if there's a draft, then some people ought to get together and form independent leagues of undrafted talent to help the players who have been ignored, and to help the teams which really suck in scouting Dominicans.

I wasn't aware this was high on the MLBPA's list of things to fight...

Of course it is. Teams pay a lot of money to sign top international free agents - money with which teams would otherwise direct towards Major League players.

Of course it is. Teams pay a lot of money to sign top international free agents - money with which teams would otherwise direct towards Major League players.

So why would the MLBPA fight to preserve a system that allows non-union members to sell their services to the highest bidder rather preferring a draft based system that limits the player's leverage?

Eh? I thought the MLBPA was fighting for the opposite side. If I'm wrong, then I haven't a clue.

Any changes to the current Rule 4 draft have to be negotiated with the MLBPA because (and only because) draft choices are awarded as compensation for free agents. Anything that would affect the value of a draft choice - in either direction - would obviously be of interest to the players. If draft choices become significantly more valuable, then teams would become more reluctant to give them up in exchange for a free agent; if draft choices become significantly less valuable, teams would probably pass up offering arbitration to their own free agents because they wouldn't care about picking up an extra draft choice. Either way, salaries to current association members could be negatively affected.

The MLBPA, therefore, does have good reason to be cautious about negotating changes to the draft structure - their goal should be to make draft choices valuable enough so that teams will offer arbitration more often in borderline cases, but not so valuable as to reduce the flow of free agent dollars.

-- MWE

Wrong thread

How long until Boras fully branches out to Dominican sandlots?

It wouldn't stun me if the system of Dominican scouting wasn't quite as efficient as possible, leaving good players on the island, and sending shitty middle infielders to the US. So if there's a draft, then some people ought to get together and form independent leagues of undrafted talent to help the players who have been ignored, and to help the teams which really suck in scouting Dominicans.

Just due to the nature of the baseball academies, I don't know how feasible it is. It's one thing to find a hot prospect and sit on him in a country of 300M (Pujols, Howie Kendrick), but it's got to be much harder to do in a place like the Dominican.

The upshot of a world draft will be a deeper draft with more and better talent. This should mean depressed prices on domestic talent, which would lead to that talent being more accessible to low revenue clubs.* And wait until the Cubans are unleashed! Then, the quality of play will get even higher. The biggest question would seem to me to be the issue of the difference in signing ages. Domestic talent (USA, Canada, Puerto Rico) can only sign at 18, whereas foreign talent can be signed as early as 16. I can't see the next Michel Inoa willingly waiting 2 years to get paid.



*Let's forget for a moment that low revenue clubs, as a result of revenue sharing, should already have more than enough money to sign several high quality draft picks if they invest wisely. In this case, wisely means to refrain from spending 3M on a replaceable OF who might make the difference between 70 and 74 wins. *glares at the Pittsburgh Pirates*