Yoan Moncada to Red Sox

[Slateman]

I heard the team will have to pay all taxes to the amt of 63 mil.

Yea, the new rules basically  make anything over 3.5 million or so a 100% tax. So the total contract is 63 million.  On the other hand, the Red Sox just bought an extra top 5/10 draft pick for 63 million. That money won't count against the luxury tax.

[HalfSmokes]

I wonder if Loria will push for legalizing the sale of draft picks now

[sph274]

does anyone else think this fat 30 million dollar tax will be used to set up some sort of international draft system?

[HalfSmokes]

still curious to see how that would work given players don't opt into the draft (or would you make internationals opt in?)

[NJ Ave]

still curious to see how that would work given players don't opt into the draft (or would you make internationals opt in?)

It's a separate international draft. International players would not be allowed to be signed by a team outside the draft process. I don't think there's a proposal to include Asian players because there are separate systems for those leagues, but it would apply to everyone now covered by the June 2nd deadline.

Probably 99% Latin Americans who are 16 and older as of the date. Teams would likely have a bonus pool similiar to the domestic draft.

I've always thought it was fairly simple, especially once you've ingested all the Cuban players who previously were trapped.

[NJ Ave]

No loopholes. For example when the Phillies refused to sign JD Drew and he went to play in an independent league for a year, he still went right back into the draft the following year. He was not allowed to sign with any club out of the independent league.

[HalfSmokes]

Is there a reason Cuban players won't still be trapped? Canada has decent relations with them now, but you don't see the Blue Jays signing cubans at will. I don't really like the idea of an international draft, but, then again, I'm pretty against drafts in general

[NJ Ave]

Is there a reason Cuban players won't still be trapped? Canada has decent relations with them now, but you don't see the Blue Jays signing cubans at will. I don't really like the idea of an international draft, but, then again, I'm pretty against drafts in general

Well, there's the opening of relations between the U.S. and Cuba for the first time in 55 years or whatever. That's a good reason And the fact that it's become MUCH easier for Cubans to leave Cuba.

I would think MLB could negotiate minimum ages by country - maybe it's 16 for the DR, maybe its 18 for Cuba. But with the amount of money MLB can pour into these countries, it makes sense for all of them to "buy in".

[NJ Ave]

The reason Cuban baseball players weren't entering MLB for years wasn't a U.S. decision - look at all the Cuban refugees we took into Miami. The reason they couldn't come was because Castro wouldn't allow them to defect. Same reason a guy like Sabonis couldn't get to the NBA for so long.

[HalfSmokes]

I'm pretty sure we're opening to the same extent as canada or europe, but Puig still had to hire smugglers to take him to Mexico rather than booking an air Canada flight. I don't think opening means that people will be allowed to defect

[NJ Ave]

I'm pretty sure we're opening to the same extent as canada or europe, but Puig still had to hire smugglers to take him to Mexico rather than booking an air Canada flight. I don't think opening means that people will be allowed to defect

That's not the full picture though. What opening DOES mean is MLB potentially being able to go in and say hey, we'll build baseball training facilities and provide free gear all over the country, in exchange for you allowing baseball players to enter the international draft. Similar to what MLB has done in the DR.

There was zero incentive for the Cuban government before, because not a single dollar was supposed to flow back. Also, there is speculation that the Cuban government allowed Yoan Moncada to leave freely, given that he was in Guatemala on a valid Cuban passport, so it's possible they're already loosening up there.

Also, part of the shadiness of the Cuban baseball player path has been that they had to establish residency in another country to obtain an American work visa, due to the diplomatic relations (or lack thereof) with Cuba. Hopefully it will be less shady now that ballplayers are possibly able to just apply for work visas directly from Cuba.