MLBPA proposal would allow teams to trade MLB draft picks

The Major League Baseball Players Association, believing that MLB’s proposal to overhaul the draft is a poorly designed money-saving measure, instead introduced proposals Tuesday that they believe would invigorate the draft, including the right to trade draft picks for the first time in MLB history.

The union’s proposal, which would also move the draft from the All-Star break to June, would allow teams to trade any draft pick in the first 10 rounds until two hours before the start of the draft. Teams have previously been permitted to only trade competitive balance draft picks.

The union is basically seeking the status quo, with high school and junior college players to be immediately eligible for the draft, while MLB wants all amateurs to be ineligible until they turn 20. The union is also proposing that athletes at four-year universities be eligible for the draft after their sophomore season instead of waiting until after their junior year.

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The union also wants to retain a 20-round draft instead of having it cut back to 12 rounds as MLB proposed last month, while maintaining a system where the signing bonus pools grow with industry revenues, which was $358.7 million last year. It also wants to include a provision that small-market teams could add $2 million to their draft bonus pools over five years, and receive an extra $1 million if they reach the postseason the previous year.

“Rejecting MLB's proposals that would demolish the current system by shrinking the draft, slashing benefits by hundreds of millions, and removing all players' right to negotiate, the MLBPA offered a framework that would maintain the economic structure of the Rule 4 draft, provide lower-revenue clubs enhanced access to amateur talent, and provide millions in benefits to such clubs that achieve succeed on the field," the union said in a statement.

The union wants to lessen the penalties for teams that surpass their allotted pools, allowing teams to surpass their pools by as much as 15% without losing a first round pick unless it exceeds it by more than 20%. The current CBA has a 75% overage tax and the loss of a first-round pick for teams that outspend their pool by more than 5%.

The union also is proposing that small-market teams would be eligible to sign up to two players before the third round to major-league contracts, with their slot values removed from their pool.

While MLB proposed an international draft last month, the union has yet to make its proposal for international amateurs. The union refused to include an international draft in the last collective bargaining agreement.

The current five-year CBA expires Dec. 1, and if no agreement is reached, MLB is expected to impose a lockout.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLBPA proposal would allow teams to trade MLB draft picks