In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Will MLB Institute an International Draft?
As we lurch closer to the expiration of Major League Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement, there will undoubtedly be rule changes, new procedures and more bandied about as potential bargaining chips.
As ESPN’s Buster Olney reports, one such bargaining chip that MLB is putting on the table could be the institution of an international draft.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”ESPN’s Buster Olney” link=”http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17817574/major-league-baseball-pushes-international-draft-new-cba” color=”” class=”” size=””]Under the terms of MLB’s initial concept, the new international draft system would start in March of 2018, with a 10-round draft held over two days. As the new structure evolved, with terms grandfathered into the process, the minimum age for draft-eligible players would be 18 years old by 2021.[/perfectpullquote]After finding a great deal of success in Latin America and elsewhere, the Pittsburgh Pirates might lose a competitive edge if a draft is instituted.
Or will they? Though the team has had great success with Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and others, the gold rush to bring in the latin players has long since abated, and is now standard practice. Quote-unquote “wealthy” teams are now in on the act and, as Olney notes, can now swing around their large sums to sometimes-unsavory handlers to get young players to sign for far less than their market value.
With an established, reputable presence in Latin America to begin with, the Pittsburgh Pirates may benefit greatly from an international draft. Leveling the playing field and taking the “Wild West” element of out of international signings can be considered nothing but a net positive for small market teams.
Ew, Gross
Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer gave it a go yesterday with his pinky finger looking like something out of a Michael Myers movie. He did not last long, forced to come out in the first inning after grossing out baseball fans the world over. Comparisons to hall of fame pitcher Curt Schilling‘s infamous bloody sock were made, oftentimes hilariously.
Trevor Bauer is bleeding. It's a slippery slope from here to defrauding the state of Rhode Island out of $75 million.https://t.co/beB2m0tmcS
— The Pickle (@sportspickle) October 18, 2016
In a storyline that clearly took a backseat to #dronegate, the Indians actually won the game and are now one win away from the World Series.
This may be a surprise to some, but not to the prescient writers of the American film classic “Major League.”
"Major League" predicted the future:
Lede: "Don't write this in blood, but Cleveland might be in for a special baseball season …" pic.twitter.com/CvQxwFBpyh— Bret Strelow (@bretstrelow) October 18, 2016
Gradeouts You May Have Missed
As we continue with our 2016 gradeouts, here a few you might have missed. Keep in mind you can check the full archive right here.
- Josh Bell earned a solid grade for a solid debut.
- Everyone knows that Ivan Nova had a fantastic stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Does that translate to a high letter grade?
- Gregory Polanco took huge strides this season. Did his grade take a stride as well?
Keep your eyes peeled, as today at noon we tackle Tyler Glasnow. It should be a very interesting gradeout.
Baseball Talk on the Web
- ESPN has a full recap of the Indians’ bullpen heroics.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers believe the Chicago Cubs are stealing signs. Ben Zobrist will have none of that talk.
- Dave Cameron at FanGraphs feels that Andrew Miller is the perfect relief pitcher.
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