Could Strasburg Move To Japan, Avoid Draft?

i read this, and was screaming at my laptop. I didn't like Boras before but now, I am not a nationals fan. But this is pathetic, Just to get this guy paid, you want to move him to japan, and take the number one draft pick away from the team that needs him the most. Wow Borass I am so glad the White Sox don't deal with him.

For the good of baseball, somebody needs to pin a drug charge on this creep and make it stick.

Didn't someone suggest this a while ago, actually here?

Given what Boras demands, I don't mind this. It looks horrible to the MLB, Bud Selig, and especially Washington. I don't mind it, though, personally.

Boras is just doing his job; trying to get hsi client as much money as possible. I think he could get money from a different club, personally. It makes business sense. Of course, my team could benefit from this, hehe. I'd love to see him as a Bomber.

I wonder if we see this with Bryce Harper next year? Maybe.

Yet another reason baseball needs a draft system in place that you get picked at a slot you get paid XXX, you don't sign you sit out for some time. no more of this "i don't like the team i was drafted by, so i will go in again next year and take my chances". you are a stud, you have to expect to get picked by the crappy teams.

The usual Boras defending crowd will be along shortly YFS78, Little Bear etc.. I don't blame you both and I agree. I wish there was a way to get this creep out of the game. Tie him and Fehr to steroids or something

UnbiasedYank: It will be even WORSE with Harper next year. Guaranteed.

Quite honestly, while I'm sure much of this rests on Boras...I do recall an interview with Strasburg where he was cool with the fact he would be taking this summer off from baseball. I believe he was quoted saying he will enjoy traveling this summer, and due to the heavy workload he had this year with SDSU, he was cool with having some time off from baseball.

Not the kind of attitude I want $50-60m invested in.

Hold on...are we saying Strasburg goes to Japan to play? I don't think that's what they are talking about. I think they are talking about him becoming a legal resident of Japan.

I think they are talking about him simply becoming a "resident" in Japan, so he is an international player. That would make him an international free agent.

If he signs with a team in Japan...couldn't you get into the whole "posting" process? I guess it would depend on his contract there.

This whining about the draft is just getting ridiculous. As long as players get shafted for their first 3 years in the majors, I'm all for them getting as much money as possible up front.

And stop hating on Boras. He's just doing his job and trying to leverage his client into getting the best possible deal. Why should he and Strasburg take way less than he's worth from the Nats? Just to be nice to them? Seriously, its a business people.

I still don't understand why international players are not part of the draft process. If baseball ever wanted a truely level playing field set a hard cap (and floor) and force all players through the draft. Why should American players be subject to the draft if international players aren't baseball has become a world sport and the MLB should treat it like one.

Because having a worldwide draft would be a huge fiasco that I doubt anyone wants to deal with. When are international players eligible? Are you going to force them to wait until they're 18 like most high school players? If they're eligible at 16 like they are now, don't US players deserve the same rights? What happens to international players that don't sign with the team drafting them? What about Japanese players that are going to play professionally in Japan? Teams can't hold the rights to players and they have to deal with the posting system over there, which completely conflicts with the draft.

Now after thinking about it, I agree with Nixa. It is a buisness, not a charity.

While this is a crappy thing for the Nats, it is a buisness and money makes the world go around.

Boras is a crook.

I have a few points, One I was thinking he'd go there to play, then the MLB would have to deal with posting fees, and then of course he wouldn't get as much money because teams would pay the posting fee (probably more than the guy from Boston got). Also there is the thing of he gets hurt, or sucks. Two, if he moves there and becomes a resident but doesn't play, how long would that take? In the US doesn't it take a couple of years? So he's going to take the kid out of organized baseball for a couple of years? Then his money will go down again. This all just sounds stupid to me. He should be paid like a free agent? Well that's the problem, he isn't, he can't be, and he won't be if he doesn't sign. It's one thing for Borass to play these games with real free agents, but to be doing it with draft picks? Come on, he obviously only cares about money, and so does Strasburg. If he's as good as he says he is, then prove it and get your money when you earn it, not before you've thrown 1 pitch in professional baseball.

Maybe they do need some sort of slotting system and cap for these draft picks like there is in the NFL and NBA, thus teams with worse records can draft the better talents without worrying about signability.

DominicanYanks: as a Pirates fan, I'm less concerned with the $2-4M international player than I am the college pitcher that "should" get $50m out of college (or high school for that matter). I don't feel that domestic players should be able to find a "loop hole" that allows them to become free agents. The draft is in place for a reason, and if agents find ways to skirt the system it is wrong.

If the Yankees can afford the Chapman kid for $50m, then they should sign him as he is an international free agent from the start.

I just think that if Boras is as good as he is, then he should work to craft a contract that will pay Strasburg big money, as long as he produces.

No one is simply worth $50m because they dominated college (and they dominated everyone except U of VA). If he is as good as Boras thinks, he should have no problem meeting contractual requirements to put him in the majors and earn big money in his first contract - craft it as such and let him earn as much as he can. But he should earn it.

We're still a month and a half away from the deadline. Of course Boras is still holding firm to his claim that Strasburg wants around 50 million. Of course he's trying to drum up as much leverage as possible by bringing up Starsburg going to Japan. None of this means that when it comes down to it he won't get Strasburg signed to a contract in the 15-25 million range when everything is said and done. God people love overreacting.

Also in the NFL and NBA I believe their minimum contracts out of the draft is 3 years, for top round picks anyway, so there is the 3 years under team control. Also in the NFL their contracts aren't guaranteed like they are in the MLB, if they stink, they can be cut and lose the rest of that salary. In the MLB if you sign a contract, you get that money no matter what.

*Bryce

NFL draft is definitely a much more suitable comparison for how the MLB draft should be.

First of all, players should have to declare for the draft. This business of getting drafted by a certain team and then not signing because they didn't offer enough money or they are a certain team (Nats, Pirates, whatever), is bogus. You should have to declare, and if you get picked and you don't like where you are, tough luck. Once you are drafted, if you don't sign with your team, you are ineligible from participating in Major League Baseball. Implementing this rule will greatly improve the quality of the game as more HS players that aren't ready for the minors will think twice and will go to college and get better and have a better chance at cracking an MLB roster, rather than struggle in the minors and fizzle out.

Second, contractual worth and signing bonuses should be determined based on draft selection. None of this "my client deserves this signing bonus or he won't sign" crap. Plus, allowing players to be eligible for the draft only once, will help solve this issue of signing bonuses.

It's time for baseball to bring down it's iron fist and start becoming a more draconian society. If there is a possibility the players get screwed, so what? It is we, the fans, who finance this sport. We are the ones who support the advertisers and we are the ones who buy the tickets to the games and buy team merchandise. And what we want, we should get. And for starters what most of us want is Boras out of baseball. Enough of his clever tricks and weaseling his way within the rules. Ban Boras and if players try to stick with him, then ban them as well and bring up replacement players. Major League Baseball will live as long as there are fans willing to watch.

Boras and his players seem to think themselves of being indispensable to the game. They are wrong. They are very very very wrong.

2. That being said, this is all a huge risk, one that is arguably not worth taking. If he goes to Japan and doesn't dominate there (NPB is tougher than college ball), he's SOL. If he gets hurt, he's SOL.
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Melonis, this is the reason I said "disservice to the game and his client". Huge risk for Stras, yes he'll have the money short term, but I assume the plan would be to sign a 1 or 2 year deal and then come back to the states as a free agent. If he get's hurt or sucks in Japan it could cost Stras 10's of millions. True indeed, Boras can be fired, but he has soooooo much influence on a draftee and their family probably. He's the only "baseball industry" person in his ear.

Japan is the hardest country in the world to establish citizenship in, unless you are a county where you would be a recognized refugee. Even if Strasburg married a Japanese national it would take some time.

If he is going to play for a Japanese team, and he plays there and that team decides to post him, then its completely by the rules. I think there will be many teams that will be interested in some quick cash to rennovate their stadium bathrooms to give the "deluxe bathroom experience."

YanksFanSince78,

Strasburg's clearly worth far more than he is likely to get through the draft process. That's what happens when you don't let people bid for players on an open market. And stop taking everything Boras says at face value. The $50 million thing is meaningless. He's posturing to get his client the most money possible. That's his job.

Anyway, my point was that Boras shouldn't just have Strasburg sign with the Nats for whatever their first offer is just to help them out. His job is to get his client as much money as possible and he's great at it.

Two things need to be done.
1. Remove the "with the player's permission" clause before the same team can pick the player again is subsequent drafts.
2. Require that the player sign for the "slot" pay if he was not signed his 1st year in the draft.