“Something has to be done.”

A MLB lockout had reached its 98th birthday and threatened to cancel a week of regular season games. It finally looked like it was getting closer to resolution Wednesday. The gap between players and owners around minimum salaries, and the designated player pool, had narrowed to a point of reasonable. Concessions were made with regard to the competitive balance tax thresholdThis is a very important issue and can sometimes seem to be a hindrance to the overall deal.

Then suddenly, an obscure issue became the main obstacle to a new collective agreement: an International Draft.

Major League Baseball had been pushing for one since the beginning of negotiations. However, it ultimately decided that it wouldn't agree to remove draft-pick compensation without it. The MLB Players Association, who has repeatedly rejected international drafts, reacted negatively to the connection. It was opposed by Latin American players who were concerned about the impact it might have on the baseball-rich Dominican Republic or Venezuela. New York Mets shortstop Francisco LindorThe league was rumored to have used international draft discussions as a means of “dividing players”

Lindor, who is a member the union's executive committee, said that “this issue is more than just Latin Players and amateur players.” tweeted Thursday. “It's all About Players and the Future Of The Game. It's up to us to do it right.

Thursday morning saw the MLBPA and MLBPA reach a consensus. agreeing to a July 25 deadline to establish an international draft that would begin in 2024. Even after the negotiations ended, it appeared that an important roadblock had been removed by the agreement. another week of games was canceled on Wednesday afternoon. This compromise also means that the international Draft will continue to be a topic of discussion among union members as well as league officials over the coming months.

What exactly is it? Why is it so important for the league? Why is the majority of players against it? How did they come together?

Below are the answers.

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How it would work

Let's get down to basics. Every summer, the MLB draft applies to high school and collegiate baseball players in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. There are also many amateur players who come from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic — as well as, in a lesser degree, Mexico and Colombia. These players are not subject to a draft.

MLB plans to make this change as soon as 2024. They will create a separate 20-round draft with hard slot prices starting at $5.51million for the first overall pick. This is in contrast to the current No. The traditional amateur draft's first overall pick was signed for $6.5million last year. It would be a unique draft order, with each team randomly being assigned to one of the four groups that would rotate each season.

MLB would require drug testing and allow draft picks to be traded. The signing age would not change from the international system. To help grow the sport internationally, teams will be granted extra picks to draft players from countries previously underrepresented.

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What would be different?

MLB established a system ten years ago to allocate international bonus pools to each team. This was in response to the growing disparity in international expenditure. Teams were able, using these caps, to project how much money would be given them many years in advance. This, according to people who are familiar with the international market, allowed them to scout out and agree with players long before they turn 16.

This is a hypothetical example: Let's say a 2018 team identifies an exciting player but he doesn't turn 16 before 2020. The player and the team, along with a family member (or a trainer). Also known as a “agent”, buscón, acting as an intermediary — strike a handshake deal fYou can also visit our website.r a specific dollar amount. The player can't work with or see scouts of other organizations once he has committed to the team. The team officially signs the player once the international market opens in 2020. This is why so many signings take place on the first day.

This can lead to many problems. According to industry sources, sometimes teams will threaten to cut the bonuses of these players before signing them or cancel the agreement entirely. These players are vulnerable because they haven’t been seen or paid by other teams. Trainers are less likely to report wrongdoing than the players because they don’t want to break the trust with the main income source.

Even those who sign must pay the trainers at least 50% of their bonus. This can sometimes be as high as 50% according to some people who are familiar with the dynamics. Sometimes, these bonuses are funneled to agencies that have made agreements with the trainers. Many of these children are forced to play baseball because it is the only way they can escape poverty. Several agents, coaches and executives familiar with the international market have long said teams scout and agree with players at early ages, some as young as 12 and 13 years old, and that it's not uncommon for teenagers to be given performance-enhancing drugs by trainers in an effort to bolster their stock value.

“I witnessed what was happening in Venezuela from my own eyes,” a coach for the Venezuelan minor leagues said. These young children are being drugged with steroids and no one does anything. I actually asked about the child's age and was told that he was 2026. They replied when he was eligible for signing. We must find a solution. I think we need to create a draft. It is time to do something.

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It's what we want.

MLB has been pushing for an international draft for the past 20 years. The league believes that the need for one has increased over the last few years due to the increase in early signings and reneged bonus payments. Although an international draft is not a panacea for all problems, the league believes it will resolve the two biggest issues within the current international system: the 12- and 13-year olds who make deals with teams and the PED use between them.

ESPN spoke to half-dozen Latin players Wednesday, repeating a position shared by many in the past years: The vast majority have always preferred a free market system to an international draft. However, there is a significant segment of scouts and executives who believe that drafts are a necessity.

“It's currently the only solution, unfortunately, because MLB failed to do enough in recent years,” stated one agent, who mostly represents players from Venezuela or the Dominican Republic. “An international draft wouldn’t have been necessary if they were holding teams accountable.” It's now out of control.

A Latin American player stated: “This is getting so out of hand, that now MLB will impose the draft in order to solve a problem they created and did nothing else to prevent.”

The league does not agree with the notion that it has turned blind eyes to widespread corruption. A senior official said the current system “encourages criminal behavior, encourages early deals and doesn’t have enough teeth or penalties to punish people.” The league also noted that the international draft proposal would have paid players more. The international bonus pool in 2022 was approximately $150 million. The total international bonus pools for 2022 amounted to about $150 million. There is no limit on the number of undrafted agents who can sign up for $20,000.

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It's a must-have for everyone.

David Ortiz is the dominating Dominican baseball player and has been the most vocal opponent to an international draft. Although he doesn't necessarily support the idea, the Hall of Fame designated hitter believes that it should be considered. MLB must also speak to players and coaches from affected countries before imposing an international draft.

“I can understand that MLB wants complete control over what they do.” Ortiz told ESPN's Jeff Passan“But you're certainly not going to make the system better overnight,”

Agents and scouts noticed potential difficulties in determining draft classes due to the difficulty in regulating birth certificates in Venezuela and Dominican. Many raised the question: Would trainers still have to be motivated to train these players if they no longer receive a portion of the player's bonuses? What happens to the 13-year old boy who is promising but his parents don't have enough money to provide structured training? What about those aged 15-16? What percentage of these kids will give up on baseball? How would this affect the interest in baseball in their country?

San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. This point was made clearer by El Caribe on Wednesday. El Caribe is a Dominican media company. It will affect us greatly because many young people will no longer have the chance to receive a bonus.

Be informed before you make any decisions. pic.twitter.com/VA34RbC3K0

— Francisco Lindor (@Lindor12BC) March 10, 2022

MLB states that it will provide enough infrastructure to enable amateur players from Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and other countries to receive training. But, is it enough? The MLB promises that trainers will be a key part of the process. But, will they be incentivized the same way? These were the questions asked by industry professionals on Wednesday. Unfortunately, no one has solid answers. It is why many players think an international draft should wait at least a few more decades.

ESPN reported that an agent said, “I support international draft because of rampant steroid abuse in children, as well as the money being exchanged.” “I care about these children more than making money. I want them to succeed. Players must be involved in this process. This is a sensitive and delicate subject that cannot be left to the last minute. The DR is not understood by most people.

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What next

The back-and forth ended Wednesday with MLB presenting the MLBPA three options based around a Nov. 15, deadline to determine if the international draft would be approved and what impact it would have on the qualifying offer system. Although the union filed a counter, it was not submitted before the 6 p.m. league deadline. ET deadline, which led to the cancellation or rescheduling of games for another week.

The two sides finally reached a compromise on Thursday morning. A July 25 deadline was set for the union to decide if it wants a draft international by 2024. Draft-pick compensation will be removed if all players agree to it. If they didn't, these two issues would be relegated to the status quo: draft-pick compensation tied only to certain free agents. There is no international draft.

The union members will spend the next four month debating the merits a complicated system. MLB could wait until 2024 to build the necessary infrastructure. However, others suggest that an international draft be moved back to 2025 and 2026 in order to allow countries like Venezuela and Dominican Republic to prepare for seismic changes.

Many were concerned about the lack Latin representation among union leaders. Only one Latin American team representative was available (Venezuelan Infielder). Miguel Rojas) and one in the eight-person executive subcommittee (Lindor, a Puerto Rico native who came up through the domestic draft).

One Latin American player suggested, “Include us into the process,” “Hear us. “Hear us.