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 an 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 players have been against such a draft because it would ultimately go to restrict salaries of the top international prospects. However, the MLBPA made their first proposal that would make the draft a reality but it wasn’t received well by MLB, according to Alden González of ESPN:
The union presented MLB negotiators with a written proposal Friday and the league came away displeased by the demands, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The two sides are believed to be extremely far apart, sources on both sides said, but this was a momentous step nonetheless considering it was the first time the MLBPA has agreed to any form of a draft for international players.
The league’s proposal from March — a 20-round, hard-slot international draft that would begin in 2024, with $5.51 million going to the No. 1 overall pick and a total of $181 million in guaranteed spending for the top 600 international players — remained on the table this week. The union countered with a 20-round draft without hard slots that would allocate at least $260 million to the top 600 international players, according to sources. The league proposed a limit of $20,000 for undrafted players and the union countered with $40,000.
Under the 2017-21 CBA, international free agents were permitted to sign with any team. A draft for international players would require significant adjustments. The Latin American baseball community also has a lot of discontent for a potential international draft, and for good reason.
All-Stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., and Juan Soto were all products of the previous MLB international free agency rules. They were able to sign for their respective bonuses and join a team of their choosing.
Under the proposed draft, however, 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 has a profound impact on the clubs that do.
Most American-born players who are drafted receive minuscule signing bonuses in comparison to those doled out to 16-year-old prospects from countries like the Dominican Republic. While an overwhelming chunk of the international market’s top earners prove to be worth the investment, tons of American baseball players provide a cheaper alternative, and have for quite some time.
Dodgers international scout Mike Brito passes away
Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers scout Mike Brito passed away Thursday at the age of 87. Brito is survived by his wife, Rosario, two daughters, Diana and Minerva, and four granddaughters.
A native of Cuba, Brito was part of the Washington Senators’ Minor League system from 1955-61 and later played professionally in Mexico from 1961-66. He moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and through work as a Mexican League scout, began to work for then-Dodgers general manager Al Campanis.
Brito was hired full time by the Dodgers in 1978 and went on to sign Robert “Bobby” Castillo as his first addition to the organization. However, it was Brito’s signing of Fernando Valenzuela that put his stamp on the Dodgers organization.
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