MLB re‑entered CBA negotiations with a fresh international draft proposal aimed at taming a chaotic overseas market. The plan limits eligibility to players 18 or older, trims the event to 12 hard‑slot rounds, and allocates a $200 million signing‑bonus pool for 360 amateurs outside the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The offer follows owners’ recent salary‑cap push.

Supporters argue the new system will crush illegal handshake deals that have plagued the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, where scouts once signed ten‑year‑olds and fueled steroid use and predatory loan‑sharks. Under the draft, undrafted players could sign for a $10,000 maximum and receive a $30,000 bonus when promoted to full‑season ball. The inaugural draft targets fall 2027‑early 2028.

MLBPA views the proposal as another cost‑control tactic, insisting true reform requires penalising clubs that breach rules and boosting on‑ground investigations. In response, MLB plans to expand its amateur scouting league, launch an international combine for the top 300 prospects, and work with the Dominican government on a trainer code of conduct with lifetime PED bans. The structure keeps total spend near the current $208 million pool.