Less Danger

Major League Baseball is contemplating moves to make it easier and safer for Cuban baseball players to sign with teams:

The plan, which resembles the posting system for Japanese players, stipulated major league teams would pay 25% of a player’s minor league bonus or 15% to 20% of the total guaranteed value in a major league deal to the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) as a release fee, possibly in addition to other fees, none of which would count against clubs’ international amateur bonus pool money.

Defectors would face “a waiting period” and major league teams still would be required to pay a release fee to the FCB to sign a defector. Scouting on the island would remain prohibited.

Los Angeles Times

So the plan is to bribe the Cuban government to release players.  I’m good with that.

I sometimes think that big bribes are an effective way to deal with difficult governments, and a way that is not tried often enough.  I understand the moral repugnance of the practice, but sometimes it is  the lowest cost solution.

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