So far I’ve liked what I heard from new commissioner Rob Manfred, but his reasons for an international draft don’t hold water:
“With the relaxation that’s taken place with respect of Cuban players, it has put a stress test on that international system,” Manfred said, per Cleveland.com. “Frankly, it’s proved wanting. I am of the view that at some point, for the good of the game, for the good of competitive balance, we are going to have an international draft.
“I mean this in the broadest possible sense. Whether it’s one draft, two drafts. … I won’t comment on those details. Conceptually a single modality of entry in the draft system has always been very appealing to me.”
An international draft would help reestablish the prime function of a draft, which Manfred described as giving “the weakest team . . . the ability to get the best talent at an affordable price.”
Baloney. What is the evidence that Cuban players have upset the competitive balance? The Reds steamrolling behind Aroldis Chapman? The Dodgers cleaning up with Yasiel Puig? The Oakland Athletics finally winning the World Series with Yoenis Cespedes? Doesn’t Arizona signing Yasmani Tomas fly in the face of that assertion? The closest thing we have to a dynasty right now, the Giants, don’t have a Cuban player on their roster!
Equally false is the last part of his statement, “the ability to get the best talent at an affordable price.” Early draft choices are paid a ton of money, before their is much evidence they can ever play at the major league level. Go back to free agency for amateurs, and teams can bid for the best talent, getting the talent they can afford, spending their money the way they wish, rather than sticking to some MLB guidelines.
The draft simply makes things easier for MLB teams. They don’t have to negotiate much, they won’t have to spend money developing players in foreign countries, just force the talent that wants to play onto a team not of their choosing. It’s time MLB and the MLBPA did something for amateurs. Rather than bring foreign players under the draft umbrella, allow US and Canadian players the right to sign for whatever they can get with whatever team suits them.
I am somewhat puzzled as to why MLB did not impose a cap on amateur international free agents much like they did a cap on the posting fee for Japanese players.
Could have limited bonuses to 10 million w/another 100% tax. Even small market teams could afford that.
I also like the idea of a similar system for Us/Canadian players. Just establish a hard cap, the amount dependent on where a team finishes or by revenues. Let players decide where they want to play. With spending capped there will be no crazy bidding wars. Players will choose in part based on a team having demonstrated a faster track for prospects to MLB. Those who delay a players clock will lose out