"Those who follow baseball closely know there's another storm brewing on the labor front, one that could leave the players frozen out in 2027. Most of the talk to this point has centered around the owners' strong desire to implement a salary cap, which could distract from other points of contention. One of those is an attempt to shorten the draft to 15 or even 10 rounds, along with potentially eliminating prep eligibility."
"One scout I spoke with confirmed that the buzz in the industry matches up with what Doyle wrote, and that some believe owners are trying to do away with scouts altogether. We've already seen a move in that direction, with the Cubs and other teams eliminating a lot of travel in favor of video and statistical review. Part of that is due to the broad availability of game tape and data on players,"
Major MLB owners are pushing cost reductions including a proposed salary cap, a shortened draft down to 15 or 10 rounds, and elimination of prep eligibility for draftees. Owners also aim to phase out A-ball by 2030, reducing minor-league infrastructure. Teams are cutting area scouts and relying more on video and statistical review due to broader availability of game tape and data. These changes would deepen college baseball's divide, with big Division I programs functioning like big-league clubs and smaller schools acting as de facto minor-league affiliates. Shrinking the draft pool could save organizations millions and diminish opportunities for high-school prospects.
Read at Cubsinsider
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