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A Step Closer To The Trading Of MLB Draft Picks?

On June 24, I talked about an MLB where draft picks could be traded.  Apparently, it was not such a pipe dream.  I mentioned that one major hurdle could be the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), which might not be interested in bringing about any significant changes to the MLB Rule 4 Draft.  And a slotting system is definitely not something wanted by the MLBPA.

Interestingly, Michael Weiner, the MLBPA Executive Director, has stated that the MLBPA will consider the possibility of allowing the trading of picks when the Association is bargaining with the owners regarding the next collective bargaining agreement.  Weiner also said that the MLBPA has been behind such an initiative in the past (2002 and 2006).  At the same time, Weiner states that he is not sure that the players will gain any leverage and that if anything, the teams will have more leverage with more options on what to do with the player/pick.

So why would the MLBPA be behind this change unless they were expecting a concession from the owners in return?

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.