During the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) this past offseason between MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA), one key sticking point was a potential international draft.
In effort to get a new CBA done, the league and union ultimately decided to delay the discussions surrounding the topic to a later day and set a deadline of July 25 to implement an international draft, if they could agree on it.
The two sides were discussing a deal, but the negotiations were short and received poorly. This led to the Players rejecting what MLB deemed as their final proposal on Monday.
“Players made clear from the outset that any International Draft must meaningfully improve the status quo for those players and not unfairly discriminate between those players and domestic entrants,” the MLBPA announced in a statement.
“To this end, the Players Association made a series of proposals aimed at protecting and advancing the rights of international amateurs.
“Our Draft proposals – unprecedented in MLBPA history – sought to establish minimum guarantees in player signings, roster spots, infrastructure investments, playing opportunities, scouting opportunities, as well as enforcement measures to combat corruption. We also made proposals to compensate international signees more fairly and in line with other amateurs, and to ensure that all prospects have access to an educational and player development safety net.
“At their core, each of our proposals was focused on protecting against the scenario that all Players fear the most – the erosion of our game on the world stage, with international players becoming the latest victim in baseball’s prioritization of efficiency over fundamental fairness. The League’s responses fell well short of anything Players could consider a fair deal.”
The two sides previously agreed if a deal for the international draft is reached, the qualifying offer would be removed, which players have wanted. But without a deal, the international signing system remains in place and qualifying offer is still part of MLB free agency.
What would an international draft change?
Under the 2017-21 CBA, international free agents were permitted to sign with any team, so a draft for international players would have required significant adjustments. This is the system that allowed MLB All-Stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., and Juan Soto to sign for their respective bonuses and join a team of their choosing.
With a draft, international talent would subject be subject to the process American-born prospects begin their careers. While this can be viewed as a huge boon for teams that do not perform well in the international market, it would affect the teams who have well-established international talent pipelines.
The players have been against a draft because it would ultimately go to restrict salaries of the top international prospects. The Latin American baseball community also has a lot of discontent for a potential international draft.
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