International Free Agents

[Astros GM (Will)]

I wanted to throw up a poll to see how motivated the league is to update the system. See the most recent discussion here started by Mike:

baseknock.proboards.com/thread/8808/international-free-agent-posting

Here is the current rule text, I've highlighted a discrepancy in two of the paragraphs:


INTERNATIONAL FREE AGENTS

International free agents will be drafted via the MiLB Draft or signed in a special International Free Agent Bidding that takes place each off-season, depending on their age.

All international free agents that are 23 years of age and older or have four or more years of professional experience in a league recognized by MLB and are signed to an MLB team will be eligible for an International Free Agent Bidding that occurs during the winter months of the off-season. A list of available players will be posted prior to the start of the bidding.

If a player plays a season in MLB baseball that qualifies as a full regular season (130 AB or 50 IP), leaves to play internationally and then returns to the MLB, he will be bid on as a normal free agent, due to his previous experience in the MLB.

International Free Agents that are younger than 23 years of age and/or have not played four or more years in league recognized by MLB and are signed to an MLB team will be eligible for the MiLB Draft (see 5.2 MiLB Draft).

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Mike proposed a solution, I also proposed a solution, and we have our current system. Details here:

Posting System:

- IFA's that do not meet the current rules regarding unrestricted free agency (<23 years old at the start of FA OR <4 years of foreign professional years of experience) qualify for the posting system: You use available cap space to bid on the rights to the IFA during the normal free agency period.
- The winning posting bid is tracked in the rosters and the player then goes into the arbitration system starting as a prospect with a salary of $0.3M and at Year 0 of arbitration eligibility.

Updated Age Rules:

- To become an unrestricted free agent, the IFA must satisfy both (instead of just one) of the following:

    - At least 23 years old at the start of free agency
    - At least 5 years of foreign professional years of experience (increasing years threshold by 1 year)
    - If one of the above two items are not satisfied, then the player enters the MiLB or Amateur draft pool (whichever comes first).

To look back on this updated rule, the following recent players would have entered the MiLB/Amateur draft pool:

Julio Pablo Martinez
Luis Robert
Shohei Ohtani
Victor Victor Mesa

This would boost the value of a 1st Round MiLB pick - which seems to be moving towards a trade system - as well as provide reasonable contracts for incoming IFA's.

League Voting

- Before free agency or an upcoming draft, the league votes on whether a player is to be in the draft pool or free agent pool.


This proposal would allow some common sense to enter the equation via the league majority on someone like Shohei Ohtani who was assured to never play a minor league game. 

[Marlins GM (Travis)]

Y'all too complicated.

[Astros GM (Will)]

Jan 16, 2019 16:53:51 GMT -5 Marlins GM (Travis) said:

Y'all too complicated.

The current rule is whack

[Blue Jays GM (Stephen)]

Once we get it narrowed down to a top 2 can we do another vote?

[Marlins GM (Travis)]

We changed FA so if you want someone bad enough, can bid however much you want for him. I don't see how this is any different, let the rebuilding teams bid for a guy, as they probably have the most money.

[Marlins GM (Travis)]

Let teams make their own decisions on when a guy will make it to MLB, bids will reflect that.

[Astros GM (Will)]

Wanted to bring this discussion up again, as a new Franchise Tag valuation system seems to be underway that may see some secondary effect on players like Luis Robert and Shohei Ohtani (projected to be undervalued franchise tag values in new system vs. current system). In order to plan against future use cases, I think we should try to get more of a league voice on some of these options that we have since it seems like we are heading to a majority in favor of updating this rule.

[Orioles GM (Michael)]

I think that a posting system (one where we pay a flat rate up front in cap and then a player becomes like a standard prospect) is preferable only because we don't have the "contract + arbitration" system MLB has. In real baseball, if a straight-to-bigs player signs a 3-year deal, they're still arbitration eligible after that. In our format, a guy just becomes an FA again. So it's probably the easiest way to eliminate weird contracts (like Robert landing a 5-yr deal for what is ultimately a 1.5-2 year MLB contract). Also re-directs some rebuilding teams' dollars towards directly paying for prospects, rather than signing so many mega-deal studs that get flipped and covered at 75%. The new point system will do that, too, but I think this only stands to further help cut that down.

I also wouldn't be opposed at all to a vote on who is MiLB draft eligible and who gets posted. Ultimately, I don't want the obvious "Will spend multiple years in the minors" candidates getting 15M annual cap-hit salaries, and I also don't want instant-impact guys like Shohei or Jose Abreu available with the first or second MiLB pick.

[Pirates GM (Max)]

All I know is Luis Robert-type players should not be able to sign contracts. I got lucky that he actually seems to be really good, but others won't be as fortunate and will have true dead weight for a long time

[Nationals GM (Tim)]

Oct 14, 2019 14:10:49 GMT -5 Pirates GM (Max) said:

All I know is Luis Robert-type players should not be able to sign contracts. I got lucky that he actually seems to be really good, but others won't be as fortunate and will have true dead weight for a long time

still one of the worst contracts in league history. Worse than Mike Moustakas deal.

[Pirates GM (Max)]

Oct 14, 2019 14:33:19 GMT -5 Nationals GM (Tim) said:

Oct 14, 2019 14:10:49 GMT -5 Pirates GM (Max) said:

All I know is Luis Robert-type players should not be able to sign contracts. I got lucky that he actually seems to be really good, but others won't be as fortunate and will have true dead weight for a long time

still one of the worst contracts in league history. Worse than Mike Moustakas deal.

Until he's a 7 PPG player this year

[Nationals GM (Tim)]

Oct 14, 2019 19:24:06 GMT -5 Pirates GM (Max) said:

Oct 14, 2019 14:33:19 GMT -5 Nationals GM (Tim) said:

still one of the worst contracts in league history. Worse than Mike Moustakas deal.

Until he's a 7 PPG player this year

how much will you have paid to get those 7ppg?

[Rockies GM (Alex)]

Working on a new post in regards to this one with one firm option solution for next off-season (2020-2021). Will be up soon.