International Draft Coming?

[JDBrewCrew]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17817574/major-league-baseball-pushes-international-draft-new-cba

[paul253]

Long overdue. Requiring some players to enter the draft and allowing others to be free agents immediately is a joke. Also ensures that the best talent is available to the worst teams, not just the teams willing to pay them the most and/or accept the penalties.

[CheezWizHed]

Is having separate International and "Domestic" drafts really the way to go, however? Wouldn't it make more sense to have one single draft and extend it by 10 rounds?

[brewcrewdue80]

So, what that suggests if implemented in 2018 is that Milwaukee should explode it's draft pool this year and target every supposed top 15 in ranks and sign however many they can with no regard to penalties.

 

But alas, I'm sure there are 5 markets free to spend in 2017 that can take a 100million hit without a blink. Watch St. Louis, a supposed "small Market" spend huge and be the type I talk above.

[MrTPlush]

Is having separate International and "Domestic" drafts really the way to go, however? Wouldn't it make more sense to have one single draft and extend it by 10 rounds?

 

Yah it seems a tad strange they wouldn't just pile them together. Some years this could be way too large of an advantage for a losing team. What if there is an international talent that is a worthy Top 10 pick? That means some team gets the #1 pick and another Top 10 talent? Mmmm...thinking they should just be in the June draft with stateside players.

 

On the bright side it should help teams rebuilding. Being one of the five worst teams for 3 years or so will amass an incredible talent pool with your top pick in each of those drafts alone. I am just glad it won't big big markets scooping up all the good players non stop now.

[CheezWizHed]

Good point, I hadn't really thought of that... There isn't that good of a talent every year, but certainly some years will be: Tank! Tank! Tank!

[colbyjack]

Ben Badler of Baseball America has an excellent article up talking about some of the deeper problems with international signings, particularly in Latin America, and how instituting an international draft on its own isn't going to simply take care of those problem:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mlb-proposes-international-draft-reforms-must-start-top/#4dL3JC4b7F8E888E.97

[CheezWizHed]

But I wonder if the draft might bring greater exposure to the problem? The Brewers (and I would assume other small market teams) have had varied interest in Latin America because we rarely have a chance to sign the best players. Wouldn't the draft give reason to have a larger scout presence (and media coverage) due to the draft?

 

Personally, I thought his first two paragraphs were a joke. Maybe a couple small market teams exceeded their bonus pools, but not nearly as many as the huge signings of the big market teams.

[LouisEly]

But I wonder if the draft might bring greater exposure to the problem? The Brewers (and I would assume other small market teams) have had varied interest in Latin America because we rarely have a chance to sign the best players. Wouldn't the draft give reason to have a larger scout presence (and media coverage) due to the draft?

I don't follow the Brewers pursuits of prospects in Latin America that closely, but from what I can tell to me it seems that the Brewers have less of a "varied" interest in Latin America (they are definitely interested), it's more that they choose to play by the rules whereas other teams often choose not to, leading to the Brewers rarely having a chance to sign the best players.

 

An international draft would be very welcome, and I really hope that it includes language that requires all players to be at least 17 years old when drafted. No more signing 16 year olds.

[jerichoholicninja]

It makes no sense that US kids have to go through high school (or pull a Bryce Harper) just to be forced to sign with whatever random team drafts them for around whatever predetermined amount their draft slot calls for while 16 year old latin american kids never have to set foot in a school and are free to sign with whatever team they chose for as much as they can negotiate. I don't think you could come up with a dumber system if you tried.

[reillymcshane]

One simple thing you could do with the young international players is make the pool a hard cap. Maybe you increase it some as well. But otherwise, you keep things pretty much the same. Let teams trade slots, that short of thing.

[MrTPlush]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the current proposal says after 2 years the requirement will go up to 18 years old. So that is a plus.

[markedman5]

[jerichoholicninja]

 

Nice try kids (well, trainers). This only hurts yourselves.