Major League Baseball and MLBPA were in negotiations about the possibility of an international draft, according to sources close to ownership. ESPN reported this on Wednesday.
These sources claim that the union is opposed to it while the league would like it to be instituted for the first time ever in history. It was also tied to the elimination draft pick compensation for agents who quit their previous teams.
The draft won’t remove the team having to pay a fee for signing a free agent. This rule is detrimental to the market for players who turn down qualifying offers.
The league offers alternatives to the original trade. It will finish the details of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and have the union sign it. While the international draft is being analyzed, the league will continue to offer the union options. If the union does not want to implement the draft by 2024, then the league is entitled to reopen the CBA.
Another option is to accept a deal that does not include the draft and excludes draft-pick compensation.
Third, you can complete the original trade by instituting an international draft. In return, the league will remove draft pick compensation.