End the Draft!

Sheryl Ring starts a series on the law concerning MLB teams tanking seasons to build a minor league system with draft choices. Ring cites Rule 21(a) of the Major League Rules:

There’s little doubt that the players on the 2013 Astros were actively trying to win, even on their way to a 111-loss season. But that’s not all the Rule requires, because the Rule doesn’t apply only to the players. It says any player or person. To show where we’re going with this, let’s take out a few words for clarity:

(a) MISCONDUCT IN PLAYING BASEBALL. Any person connected with a Club who shall fail to give his best efforts towards the winning of any baseball game with which he is or may be in any way concerned, or who shall intentionally lose or attempt to lose, or who shall solicit or attempt to induce any player or person connected with a Club to lose or attempt to lose, shall be declared permanently ineligible.

It would seem that, according to the language used here, the front office and management of a Major League Baseball team is also bound to try its best to win games. Is a front office giving its best efforts towards the winning of a baseball game, though, if it strips it bare of major-league talent before the season begins? Or is that front office attempting to lose those games? By the plain language of the rule, it seems like tanking might actually be prohibited.

I have for many years been calling for the end of the MLB draft in favor of universal free agency for players. Amateurs get signed as free agents. When their contracts are up at any level they get to be free agents. There would be no reserve clause.

There are a number of issues in MLB that eliminating the draft would help solve:

• Tanking would disappear as there would be no incentive to tank.
• Some people are concerned about the low pay in the minor leagues. Without a draft and a reserve clause, players would negotiate for what they are worth.
• Players are not getting huge contracts because team realize that old players are not that valuable. With universal free agency, players get paid for what they can currently do, not what they did in the past.
• The game will spread internationally faster, as MLB teams will seek to sign players from poorer countries who are willing to take less money to sign.

On top of that, it’s just a fairer system to everyone involved. More rules mean finding more ways around the rules. As far as front offices are concerned, the desire to tank and cook the international signing books to gain an advantage will disappear. It will certainly mean more work for front offices, but it will be worth it to pay the players appropriately and eliminate scandals.

from baseballmusings.com https://ift.tt/2QVYJtl