Source: MLB players, owners close in on new 5-year labor deal Read more: http://sportsillustrated.c

[Sports Guy]

I'd imaging we will see a busier trade deadline, mainly for mid-tier pending FAs.

It does make those players worth less though.

Guthrie, for example, should be dealt now.

[DrungoHazewood]

One could argue that Darnell McDonald would be better off in the NFL.

Multiply that by everybody who has a scholarship offer from a D-I school who otherwise would be lured to pro baseball by overslots. Maybe it's not a huge impact. I don't know.

I think you are really reaching here.

First of all, they can go to pro ball, making a lot of money at age 18 in baseball.

In the NBA, they have to go to college and be there for at least 2 years(this will be the rule once the new CBA is finally done) and then they don't get paid nearly as much as the pro baseball player.

In the NFL, you have to wait 3 years, come into a league with a short career span, tons of injuries and contracts that are not guaranteed.

Also, the NFL just changed their rookie wage scale and it dropped in a big way...is that going to stop players from going to the NFL and if so, doesn't that stand to reason that some of them will go to play baseball?

You can't have that both ways.

I said I'm not sure if the impact will be trivial or huge. We'll have to wait and see. I'm open to the idea that other changes in other sports make this largely irrelevant, but I'm not counting on it.

[Sports Guy]

Multiply that by everybody who has a scholarship offer from a D-I school who otherwise would be lured to pro baseball by overslots. Maybe it's not a huge impact. I don't know.

I said I'm not sure if the impact will be trivial or huge. We'll have to wait and see. I'm open to the idea that other changes in other sports make this largely irrelevant, but I'm not counting on it.

It will have no impact, at least not one that will be measurable.

A lot of it is cultures and what you grow up doing.

There has been a movement for years trying to push baseball onto the inner city children..but they still gravitate to basketball and football. That isn't going to change and it certainly isn't going to change because MLB has changed its slotting system...a system that you will still be paid a lot of money.

I just think its a huge reach and something that doesn't really impact anything whatsoever.

Hell, how many 16 year olds are even going to know about this to begin with?

[DrungoHazewood]

It will have no impact, at least not one that will be measurable.

A lot of it is cultures and what you grow up doing.

There has been a movement for years trying to push baseball onto the inner city children..but they still gravitate to basketball and football. That isn't going to change and it certainly isn't going to change because MLB has changed its slotting system...a system that you will still be paid a lot of money.

I just think its a huge reach and something that doesn't really impact anything whatsoever.

Hell, how many 16 year olds are even going to know about this to begin with?

That's one intepretation. We'll see how it works out. MLB thought putting Puerto Ricans in the draft would be a trivial thing, and now they make up a much smaller percentage of major leaguers than they did a generation ago. Let's reassess in a few years.

[Frobby]

That's one intepretation. We'll see how it works out. MLB thought putting Puerto Ricans in the draft would be a trivial thing, and now they make up a much smaller percentage of major leaguers than they did a generation ago. Let's reassess in a few years.

Just curious, is there a theory that putting Puerto Ricans in the draft has somehow lowered the demand or incentive for PR players? Is it pretty clear there is a cause/effect relationship between putting PR players in the draft and the lower numbers today? Or could other unrelated forces be at play?

[weams]

Proceeds generated by the tax will be distributed to payee clubs under the revenue sharing plan that do not exceed their signing bonus pools. Draft picks that are forfeited by clubs will be awarded to other Clubs through a lottery in which a club’s odds of winning will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage and its prior season’s revenue. Only clubs that do not exceed their signing bonus pools are eligible for the lottery.

Competitive Balance Lottery

For the first time, clubs with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets will have an opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery.

The 10 clubs with the lowest revenues and the 10 clubs in the smallest markets will be entered into a lottery for the six draft selections immediately following the completion of the first round of the draft. A club’s odds of winning the lottery will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage.

The eligible clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first round and all other payee clubs under the revenue sharing plan will be entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the completion of the second round of the draft. A club’s odds of winning the lottery will be based on its prior season’s winning percentage.

Picks awarded in the Competitive Balance Lottery may be assigned by a club, subject to certain restrictions

Trading Draft Picks!

[Stotle]

Just curious, is there a theory that putting Puerto Ricans in the draft has somehow lowered the demand or incentive for PR players? Is it pretty clear there is a cause/effect relationship between putting PR players in the draft and the lower numbers today? Or could other unrelated forces be at play?

More a matter of teams no longer being incentivized to put their own money into developing PR talent if talent could be scooped up by someone else in the draft. Why pour resources into an academy when it gives you no advantage for signing the players you are helping to develop? This has been studied in a fair amount of detail, and Jon at Camden Depot has written a couple really good pieces on it.

[The Rick]

So if I'm understanding this correctly, shouldn't we see a huge decrease in amateurs entering the draft, but ultimately not signing and going to college instead? It seems as if their initial contract will be fairly predictable, which should mean less drafted players deciding not to sign.

[Stotle]

So if I'm understanding this correctly, shouldn't we see a huge decrease in amateurs entering the draft, but ultimately not signing and going to college instead? It seems as if their initial contract will be fairly predictable, which should mean less drafted players deciding not to sign.

The work I've done over the past week leads me to believe the decrease likely will not be as large as many writers are claiming.