Highlights
- MLB has proposed an international draft as part of ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, ESPN reported Thursday.
- The league framed the proposal as a fix for what it called an increasingly corrupt international signing system.
- The D-backs have run a Dominican Academy in Boca Chica for more than a decade, producing players including Geraldo Perdomo and Justin Martínez.
- The current CBA expires December 1, 2026, with MLB and the MLBPA still far apart on core economic terms.
MLB has proposed an international draft as part of its collective bargaining negotiations with the players union, sources told ESPN, framing the move as a structural fix for what the league described as an increasingly unruly and corrupt international signing system.
For the Arizona Diamondbacks, the proposal carries direct organizational stakes. The club has operated a Dominican Academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, for more than a decade, running a program built around three pillars: English language instruction, academic development, and life skills training, according to reporting by the Arizona Daily Star. Infielder Geraldo Perdomo, reliever Justin Martínez, outfielder Jorge Barrosa, and pitcher José Fernández all came through that developmental track. An international draft would fundamentally alter how the D-backs and every other club identify and sign those players, replacing the current open-market system with a structured selection process.
The broader CBA fight gives context to how hard the proposal will be to land. MLB's counterproposal to the MLBPA, filed last month, included a hard salary cap of $245.3 million and a salary floor of $171.2 million, along with a 50-50 revenue split, according to MLB Trade Rumors. MLBPA interim director Bruce Meyer rejected that framework, saying a cap system would harm players at all levels. The last time MLB proposed a salary cap, more than 30 years ago, it triggered the longest work stoppage in league history.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, 2026. Spring training at Salt River Fields opens well before that deadline, meaning the D-backs and their Cactus League neighbors could be negotiating under a labor cloud when pitchers and catchers report next February.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- espn.com retrieved 18/06/2026 17:56
- tucson.com retrieved 18/06/2026 17:56
- mlbtraderumors.com retrieved 18/06/2026 17:56
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 18/06/2026 17:56. Every claim traces to a source.
