Thinking about a new way to do draft and international signings

So I was thinking about the draft and the international market and thought it might be interesting to look at a different option that the way it is currently done.

So was thinking why not just eliminate the draft altogether, no domestic, no international. Instead, give teams a limit for a pool of money based off a formula that they can spend each year. For instance, the teams that play in the top 6 markets get $25M to spend, the next 6 $26M, and so on to $30M. That amount has to cover the costs of running any international academies, cost of scouts, etc. so a team like the Yankees couldn't just sign the best scouts by paying more and have 5 Dominican academies, etc. Let's say it costs $1M a year to run a Dominican academy and you have 3 because you want to look for gems from that area, fine but that cost comes off your available pool.

Teams could spend their money anyway they want to: 50 players at $500K each or 1 player at $25M, it's up to the team. However, posting fees would count. So, a team signs a Japanese player an pays a $10M posting fee then that counts toward the total. If a team goes over their allotted amount then it comes of their next year's available amount at double the rate (so the Braves exceed their amount by 500K this year they lose $1M out of their pool next year).

It would give more freedom to the players to choose where they want to play. It would allow teams to develop strategies specific to their own current needs - if you are a rebuilding team you might go for higher end talent that is further away while if you are close to competing you might focus on players who could arrive and have an impact more quickly even if it cost at a higher rate to do so.

So, take a player like Harper out of HS who has Boras as an agent and he demands a ML contract and a $25M signing bonus. Welp, ok. If a team wants to do that it is up to them. BUT, they will then have to fill their minor league teams around Harper with nobodies with no talent.

I think it could set up some interesting dynamics and can't see how it would benefit the big money teams, certainly not more than the leverage of college currently used to drive guys like Van Poppel and Groome to their desired teams or the circus that is the import of Japanese players.

I think an international draft is the better way to go. Isn't that the easiest way to put an end to all the handshake deal BS that goes on?

Players that young shouldn't be able to have a say in what teams they go to.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thewupk

I think an international draft is the better way to go. Isn't that the easiest way to put an end to all the handshake deal BS that goes on?

Players that young shouldn't be able to have a say in what teams they go to.

---

I think an international draft wouldn't solve much. Teams with more money would hire better scouts who would identify players earlier and would pay the Buscon who would then hide the prospect from the eyes of competing scouts. So when the draft comes around players would come out of nowhere because teams would have had them stashed (as much as possible) waiting to be called.

My way above, teams could just choose to focus their efforts domestically if they desired.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horsehide Harry

I think an international draft wouldn't solve much. Teams with more money would hire better scouts who would identify players earlier and would pay the Buscon who would then hide the prospect from the eyes of competing scouts. So when the draft comes around players would come out of nowhere because teams would have had them stashed (as much as possible) waiting to be called.

My way above, teams could just choose to focus their efforts domestically if they desired.

---

I assume that's possible but I wouldn't see it playing out that way.

Large markets would feast on this. They don’t need as deep of farm system since they can buy star power. They could spend big on the Harpers of the worlds where smaller markets have to build volume to find the diamonds. In addition. More prospects are going to be drawn to larger markets because they have potential to make more money. So smaller markets would always have to out bid. Sorry. This is a bad idea.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horsehide Harry

I think an international draft wouldn't solve much. Teams with more money would hire better scouts who would identify players earlier and would pay the Buscon who would then hide the prospect from the eyes of competing scouts. So when the draft comes around players would come out of nowhere because teams would have had them stashed (as much as possible) waiting to be called.

My way above, teams could just choose to focus their efforts domestically if they desired.

---

This is easier to do in today’s system. Your system wouldn’t fix that. It would encourage more crap like what coppy pulled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horsehide Harry

So I was thinking about the draft and the international market and thought it might be interesting to look at a different option that the way it is currently done.

So was thinking why not just eliminate the draft altogether, no domestic, no international. Instead, give teams a limit for a pool of money based off a formula that they can spend each year. For instance, the teams that play in the top 6 markets get $25M to spend, the next 6 $26M, and so on to $30M. That amount has to cover the costs of running any international academies, cost of scouts, etc. so a team like the Yankees couldn't just sign the best scouts by paying more and have 5 Dominican academies, etc. Let's say it costs $1M a year to run a Dominican academy and you have 3 because you want to look for gems from that area, fine but that cost comes off your available pool.

Teams could spend their money anyway they want to: 50 players at $500K each or 1 player at $25M, it's up to the team. However, posting fees would count. So, a team signs a Japanese player an pays a $10M posting fee then that counts toward the total. If a team goes over their allotted amount then it comes of their next year's available amount at double the rate (so the Braves exceed their amount by 500K this year they lose $1M out of their pool next year).

It would give more freedom to the players to choose where they want to play. It would allow teams to develop strategies specific to their own current needs - if you are a rebuilding team you might go for higher end talent that is further away while if you are close to competing you might focus on players who could arrive and have an impact more quickly even if it cost at a higher rate to do so.

So, take a player like Harper out of HS who has Boras as an agent and he demands a ML contract and a $25M signing bonus. Welp, ok. If a team wants to do that it is up to them. BUT, they will then have to fill their minor league teams around Harper with nobodies with no talent.

I think it could set up some interesting dynamics and can't see how it would benefit the big money teams, certainly not more than the leverage of college currently used to drive guys like Van Poppel and Groome to their desired teams or the circus that is the import of Japanese players.

---

I doubt the big boys (teams in big markets) would ever allow that to happen. They like having a built in market advantage and will stop at nothing to keep it.

The best example is the Braves coming up with a way for a mid market team to act like a big market team (The Superstation), only to have MLB make them divide the revenue, thus restoring the big market imbalance.

Your idea might move toward a more level playing field, but I am not sure MLB really wants a more level playing field.

Just include international players in the regular draft, the way the NHL does with its draft. Then, similarly, allow teams to trade picks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bravesfanMatt

Large markets would feast on this. They don’t need as deep of farm system since they can buy star power. They could spend big on the Harpers of the worlds where smaller markets have to build volume to find the diamonds. In addition. More prospects are going to be drawn to larger markets because they have potential to make more money. So smaller markets would always have to out bid. Sorry. This is a bad idea.

---

Not really.

Let's say the Yankees wanted to sign Otani. They could (just as they could this year) but his cost would come out of what they had to spend overall. So let's say they had an initial pool of $25M to spend. They had 2 foreign (Dominican) academies that cost $1M each to run, so their total is automatically $23M. Then let's say they $10M signing bonus and a $10M posting fee for Otani. That would leave them $3M to sign all their other new players, both foreign and domestic. Some of that obviously would go to feeding their academies, let's say half. So, they end up with about $1.5M left to sign domestic players or the equivalent of a late second rounder.

As for allowing trades of picks, my system would allow for that after the player had been with his team for a year. So, a 16 yo Dominican signs, he's eligible to be traded one year later.

Teams would not be allowed to trade their pool money.

But the players would be free with signing with who they wish. Foreign players currently CAN do this. I see no reason that a domestic player shouldn't be able to say: "I've got a better money offer from the Red Sox, but I've always loved the Braves or Royals or whoever, so I'll sign for less." Also, I think you would get young players looking at opportunity when they sign. Let's say there's a young RF who's supposed to be the next big thing. Do you not think he will look (and his agents, handlers, family, friends) at the Yankees and say "hey, they just traded for Stanton who has a 10 year contract.?

I think your large market teams would almost always feel the "win now" pressure and go for higher end talent that will fill needs quickly when given a limited pool from which to work from every year.

I think you add in FA compensation as well. Lose a QO free agent, get another $2M added to your pool amount...etc.

I think this would create endless opportunities for teams to try to find value that meets their needs as a team while exerting economic pressure on the teams with unlimited (normally) resources.

Just eliminate both and let the kids earn their market value.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Knucksie

Just include international players in the regular draft, the way the NHL does with its draft. Then, similarly, allow teams to trade picks.

---

This is what I want. If you do it though, international players would have to meet same age/graduation from HS requirements domestic kids do

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horsehide Harry

Not really.

Let's say the Yankees wanted to sign Otani. They could (just as they could this year) but his cost would come out of what they had to spend overall. So let's say they had an initial pool of $25M to spend. They had 2 foreign (Dominican) academies that cost $1M each to run, so their total is automatically $23M. Then let's say they $10M signing bonus and a $10M posting fee for Otani. That would leave them $3M to sign all their other new players, both foreign and domestic. Some of that obviously would go to feeding their academies, let's say half. So, they end up with about $1.5M left to sign domestic players or the equivalent of a late second rounder.

As for allowing trades of picks, my system would allow for that after the player had been with his team for a year. So, a 16 yo Dominican signs, he's eligible to be traded one year later.

Teams would not be allowed to trade their pool money.

But the players would be free with signing with who they wish. Foreign players currently CAN do this. I see no reason that a domestic player shouldn't be able to say: "I've got a better money offer from the Red Sox, but I've always loved the Braves or Royals or whoever, so I'll sign for less." Also, I think you would get young players looking at opportunity when they sign. Let's say there's a young RF who's supposed to be the next big thing. Do you not think he will look (and his agents, handlers, family, friends) at the Yankees and say "hey, they just traded for Stanton who has a 10 year contract.?

I think your large market teams would almost always feel the "win now" pressure and go for higher end talent that will fill needs quickly when given a limited pool from which to work from every year.

I think you add in FA compensation as well. Lose a QO free agent, get another $2M added to your pool amount...etc.

I think this would create endless opportunities for teams to try to find value that meets their needs as a team while exerting economic pressure on the teams with unlimited (normally) resources.

---

I think that would also lead to some extremely fishy accounting. Who’s going to check these “academies” to see how much they’re really costing to run? It would lead to much more under the table deals with players and handlers in order to sign players for under cap and then just give them a contract in a year or so as a reward.

I had a new idea that I already forwarded to AA and the rest of the FO. What if we offer contracts to international prospects' friends and family to sweeten the pot and get them to fit under the penalty? Arranging housing and transportation for so many additional players could be tough, but I guess we could find a hotel and get them cars or something. Probably need to go ahead and lock these guys up when they're 14 or 15 though, so they'd have to lie about their age in order to drive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Knucksie

Just include international players in the regular draft, the way the NHL does with its draft. Then, similarly, allow teams to trade picks.

---

And the NBA....and the NFL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mqt

Just eliminate both and let the kids earn their market value.

---

The Libertarian in me agrees with you one hundred percent. The baseball fan in me wants to hurt you. Luckily the political side of me is probably stronger lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheBravos

And the NBA....and the NFL

---

The NFL thumps it's chest about reach outside of North America, but appeal is limited. A foreign-born player is usually from a US college in the draft. The NBA has quite a bit more pull internationally, but baseball and hockey have several more competitive countries as power centers, beside just the US, as opposed to occasional potential star emerging from a smaller country.