Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
June 26, 2007
Bonus Collusion

The MLBPA is crying foul on signing bonuses, bringing up collusion:

MLB may be colluding to keep signing bonuses for amateur draft players down, according to a report by the Sports Business Journal.

SBJ is reporting that the MLBPA is investigating whether the league is threatening clubs with keeping signing bonuses down to a league-mandated level. Signing bonuses for amateur draft players are down approx. 10 percent lower than last season.

With revenue up, and free agent prices up, I would expect signing bonuses to be up as well. The problem is you never know when teams collectively decide that money is better spent on a proven player who is a free agent rather than a draft choice who may or may not work out. Still, my guess that crying collusion will be enough to scare MLB into making sure that it's not happening.


Posted by David Pinto at 04:04 PM | Draft | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Since when has the MLBPA cared about players picked in the draft? They aren't even MEMBERS of the MLBPA.

Posted by: nomars_Girl at June 26, 2007 05:03 PM

Indeed... you'd think it would be the opposite, as money that goes towards bonuses doesn't go into payroll.

Posted by: SleepyCA at June 26, 2007 05:51 PM

The MLBPA doesn't care about the "rights" or bargaining positions of players picked in the draft per se, except that the ones getting bonuses are also likely to get major league contracts (making them members immediately) or indeed, make the majors one day (due to the club's investment and the talent that prompted that investment) and be members then.

Money that flows out in bonuses and the like is money being paid to future members of the MLBPA. (Unlike the minors, say.)

Posted by: Subrata Sircar at June 26, 2007 08:04 PM

Meanwhile, the MLBPA couldn't care less about prospects in Latin America. Come on.

Posted by: Theron at June 27, 2007 02:12 AM
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