MLB, union end talks for international draft in 2014
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Major League Baseball and its players’ association have ended talks aimed at starting an international draft in 2014.
Under the collective bargaining agreement reached in November 2011, the sides held discussions about a draft and MLB had the right to inform the union by Saturday if it planned to start one next year. If MLB had given that notification, the union would have had until June 15 to veto it.
The sides said Friday that talks had ended.
Since there will be no draft, the system of a signing bonus pool with penalties for exceeding thresholds will remain in place. For the period that began last July 2 and ends June 15, the threshold was $2.9 million.
For 2013-14, the thresholds are based on reverse order of winning percentage in 2012. The Houston Astros have the highest pool at $4,943,700 and the Washington Nationals the lowest at $1,846,900.
For both 2012-13 and 2013-13, a team’s six-highest signing bonuses up to $50,000 will not count toward its pool, and bonuses below $7,500 will not be included.
Only players from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico are eligible for the current amateur draft, which started in 1965.
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