The MLB Players’ Association on Monday rejected Major League Baseball’s final offer for an international draft, a decision that maintains current conditions for unsigned free agents in Latin America as well as MLB veterans who may remain tied to a qualifying offer when they enter free agency.
Closing the final major point in collective bargaining negotiations that resulted in a 99-day MLB lockout, the MLBPA faced a Monday deadline to agree to an international draft or for veteran free agents to remain subject to an offer. qualification, which was exceeded. -season meant a one-year tender of $18.4 million. Players who reject the qualifying offer become free agents, but their former teams receive draft compensation if they leave, a stipulation that has been a drag on mid-level free agents in recent winters.
But the MLBPA viewed an international draft as too important a piece to trade in exchange for eliminating pick compensation, especially since the number of veterans significantly impacted in a given year is five or less. Additionally, he estimated that MLB’s offer – increased from $181 million to $191 million in guaranteed bonuses for a 20-round draft, plus $6 million more for undrafted free agents, from the 260 million dollars requested by the union – was insufficient to overturn a system in which corruption is endemic. but the free market still reigns.
A person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the numbers to USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were underway.
While the signees, largely from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, are generally younger – 16 or 17 years old – and less developed than high school and college-born recruits, the MLBPA feared a vesting system of players which greatly favored national players and led to a decrease. interest in players born abroad.
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“We have made proposals to compensate international signees more fairly and more consistent with that of other amateurs,” the MLBPA said in a statement, “and to ensure that all prospects have access to a safety net in terms of education and player development.
“At its core, each of our proposals was intended to protect against the scenario that all players fear most: the erosion of our game on the world stage, with international players becoming the latest casualty of baseball’s focus on efficiency rather than fundamental fairness.”
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Player acquisition is rife with corruption in the Dominican Republic, with the league and players both hoping to minimize the negative effects caused by sometimes unscrupulous buscones – or player agents – who might demand an inappropriate amount of the possible signing bonus for a player, concluding agreements with clubs. years before a player is eligible or provide them with performance-enhancing drugs to improve their market value.
MLB has increased its efforts to deter impropriety, but sanctioning or even banning for life scouts or high-ranking officials who break the rules has not deterred inappropriate activity in the way it believes an international draft could do it.
Dominican players were frank against an international projectWith greater concern, their island nation could suffer a fate similar to that of Puerto Rico, which has seen its status as a talent hotbed decline since 1990, when MLB submitted players from that American commonwealth to the draft.
Two Venezuelan stars, Carlos Guilen and Bobby Abreu, spoke in favor of an international project, citing a greater ability to control and foster player development. Guillen runs an academy in Venezuela.
MLB believes its offer to increase the international signing pool from $167 million to $191 million, as well as adopt a system that could limit irregularities and reduce or even eliminate pre-agreements, was sufficient.
“MLB has worked to reach an agreement with the MLBPA to reform the international amateur system in ways that address long-standing challenges and benefit future players,” MLB said in a statement. “We are disappointed that the MLBPA chose the status quo rather than moving toward an international plan that would have guaranteed future international players larger signing bonuses and better training opportunities, while improving transparency to better tackle to the root causes of corruption in the current system.”
The lockout marked the CBA’s first negotiation-related work stoppage since the 1994–95 strike, although a last-minute settlement in March and a subsequent adjustment to the schedule meant the league did not lose no regular season games due to lockout. A truncated and month-delayed spring training followed March’s CBA agreement, a process in which the two sides will not need to recommit until December 2026.
Nonetheless, issues such as drug testing or the international draft can be reopened during the five-year term, and Commissioner Rob Manfred can unilaterally implement rule changes with 45 days’ notice; MLB is expected to adopt a pitch clock, limiting defensive shifts and larger bases in 2023.
