MLB and Players Union Conspire to Write Most Complex Document Known to Man

First, three cheers for continued labor peace. As we watch the NBA and NFL face lockout after lockout, it’s refreshing to know that the baseball season will happen every spring. Barring, of course, the Mayans correctly surmising that the world will end in 2012.

Moving on from that, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, while making some necessary improvements to the sport, is too heavy handed and may even spell the demise of the sport. Let’s break it down:

Draft Changes:
Say goodbye to players like Bubba Starling unless your team is willing to pay a hefty tax. Players with options beyond baseball, thereby making the slot payment a mere pittance, will probably not be choosing baseball as their profession.

Basically, teams will have the recommended slot for the first ten rounds added together and if they pay more than that total, will be heavily taxed. There is a sliding scale, but frightfully, if they pay more than 15% over the recommended slots, they will be taxed 100% of that overage and lose their first and second round picks the next season.

For teams like the Pirates, that means saying goodbye to players like Josh Bell who they signed out of a college commitment with lots of cash. Jim Callas of Baseball America also notes that 20 teams went 16% or more over their recommended slots last season, proving that GMs understood that the slots were unrealistic and hampered the on-field talent.

There will also be the implementation of a “Competitive Balance Lottery” where small market and poor performing clubs will receive a sandwich pick between the second and third rounds, though unless there is the ability to spend more money, this won’t do much.

The one nice change is that players must sign by July 18th, allowing new draftees to start their minor league careers much earlier.

International Talent:
Though there is no international draft yet, there is a cap on how much teams can spend on international talent. It gets confusing, but if you’re a losing team you get to spend more and if you’re a winning team you have to spend less. Just like the amateur draft, there is another tax for going over the established limits.

Naturally, Japanese players won’t be subject to these limits as they could easily choose to remain in Japan if they didn’t like their Major League offer.

Free Agent Compensation:

Gone is the secret formula that Elias used to differentiate between Type A and B free agents. Instead, compensation will only be offered for players who spent the entire season with one ballclub, eliminating rental players picked up solely for the draft pick that they represent.

Teams signing a player who is among the top 125 highest paid players will lose their first round draft pick, provided they are not picking in the top ten, and teams losing the player will receive a “sandwich” round pick between the first and second.

Expanded Replay:
Though they haven’t figured out how they will exactly implement it, fair/foul calls and “trapped” catches can now be reviewed. Here’s crossing fingers that we’ll get an umpire in the booth rather than having to watch the team of umps trot into the dugout.

Salary:
The Major League minimum has moved to $480,000 and there will be a higher percentage of “Super Twos,” players who are eligible for arbitration after two seasons of service time.

Chewing Tobacco:
No longer will players be able to chaw down during TV interviews and may not carry tobacco products in “their uniforms or on their bodies.” I wonder if tucking inside a cheek counts.

All-Star Games:
Players selected to the All-Star game will be required to play unless they are injured or are “otherwise excused by the Office of the Commissioner.” I wonder how many forged doctors notes will show up?

It’s an extremely detailed document, so check out all the legalese here or MLB Trade Rumors more helpful breakdown here.

In the end, the owners proved to be shortsighted, saving small sums of cash on amateur talent by harming the sport down the line. Things have always been difficult for the smaller market clubs, but it’s unlikely will ever see a minor league crop like the Royals had last season or a team make an unlikely rise to the top like the Rays under these new rules. And that’s not a happy thought for the majority of baseball fans that live outside of Boston and New York.