Selig: International MLB draft is International Draft 'Inevitable'

[savafan]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today...2/2613020.html

http://www.nesn.com/2012/02/bud-seli...mentation.html

Commissioner Bud Selig may be turning his attention on creating an international draft to avoid the bidding wars that teams currently use to acquire top foreign talents like Yu Darvish and Yoenis Cespedes.

"It is inevitable," Selig told Baseball America while discussing the possibility of an international draft. "I would like to see it."

While Selig didn't indicate any timeline for creating a draft, he has reportedly formed a committee to map out the steps necessary for implementation. It's also not clear whether the international talent pool would be incorporated into the current draft of amateur players or if it would have its own separate draft.

[Vottomatic]

It's about time. It shouldn't be about the highest bidder. It should be about parity and giving the have nots a chance at all the talent.

[The Voice of IH]

In a sport that has so many of it's stars and players from foreign countries, it is almost unbelievable something has not already been done.

[MikeThierry]

This issue is one of the reasons why the Yankees continue to have an excellent farm system despite always drafting near the bottom in the draft. They spend a ton of money in international signings. It's about time mlb does something with international players.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by MikeThierry

This issue is one of the reasons why the Yankees continue to have an excellent farm system despite always drafting near the bottom in the draft. They spend a ton of money in international signings. It's about time mlb does something with international players.

They have already taken that step, by setting up a scaled spending limit for international players based on your record the previous season. The limits for some teams are less than what single players have gotten in the past.

[Roy Tucker]

Originally Posted by savafan

"It is inevitable," Selig told Baseball America while discussing the possibility of an international draft. "I would like to see it."

Bud... you're the daggone commissioner. You make it happen.

[corkedbat]

Been wanting/waiting for this for a long time. Make it happen.

[MikeThierry]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

They have already taken that step, by setting up a scaled spending limit for international players based on your record the previous season. The limits for some teams are less than what single players have gotten in the past.

I'm usually for big market teams and I'm tired of small market teams crying poor but this is a good move on the part of MLB. When it comes to free agents, I have no problem with big money teams spending all the money they can on trying to get players. However, I view it somewhat differently as it pertains to prospects. Its too risky for for "small market teams" to spend money on unknown quantities where as the Yankees can throw 5 large at a prospect without batting an eye. Plus, I have always felt there needs to be some order in this area of baseball. It seems that there have been a lot of shady things that have gone on over the years with international signings to where it needed to be addressed.

Now when it comes to a salary cap, all those elitist people like me stand up and say "Heck no we won't go!!"