Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
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Re: Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 10:41 AM
]
- If an amateur Japanese born player signs with a MLB team would this in turn make the amateur a free agent under NPB rules?
If the player returns to the NPB, he will be put back in the draft if he's of Japanese ethnicity. Like this previous off-season former major leaguer Michael Nakamura was drafted by the Nippon Ham Fighters, former major leaguer Masato Yoshii was drafted by the now defunct Orix BlueWave (still with the Orix Buffaloes), and former major league pitcher Mac Suzuki was drafted by the now defunct Orix BlueWave before that.
For more on this I would read these topics:
If the player returns to the NPB, he will be put back in the draft if he's of Japanese ethnicity. Like this previous off-season former major leaguer Michael Nakamura was drafted by the Nippon Ham Fighters, former major leaguer Masato Yoshii was drafted by the now defunct Orix BlueWave (still with the Orix Buffaloes), and former major league pitcher Mac Suzuki was drafted by the now defunct Orix BlueWave before that.
For more on this I would read these topics:
Re: Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jul 8, 2005 2:01 PM
]
My mistake, Yoshii was drafted by now the now-defunct Kintetsu Buffaloes, and not subject to entering the draft. Though Michael Nakamura and Mac Suzuki are because they're of Japanese ethnicity.
Re: Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 10:47 AM
]
- If this idea would work, could it lead to the undoing or lessening of the NPB reserve clause on their players? Would this lead to a more friendly or contentious relationship between the two professional leagues?
I don't see the reserve clause going anywhere, because it's there to protect the NPB talent pool. Maybe the reserve clause needs to be pushed down a couple of years, but your idea is only beniefictal for MLB alone, and detriemental to the NPB as a whole.
Furthermore, to prevent the NPB from becoming a MLB feeder, the reserve clause should stay. Otherwise the NPB would become something it shouldn't.
I don't see the reserve clause going anywhere, because it's there to protect the NPB talent pool. Maybe the reserve clause needs to be pushed down a couple of years, but your idea is only beniefictal for MLB alone, and detriemental to the NPB as a whole.
Furthermore, to prevent the NPB from becoming a MLB feeder, the reserve clause should stay. Otherwise the NPB would become something it shouldn't.
Re: Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
[ Author: Something Lions | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 11:03 AM
| SL Fan
]
I reckon former major leaguer Mac Suzuki would be such a player. He signed his first pro contract in the States, played on some major league teams. Then he was drafted in the second round by Orix in 2003. So, apparently they would be eligible for the draft.
Re: Japanese Amateur Players and MLB
[ Author: Kiyoshi | Posted: Jul 9, 2005 12:26 PM
| HAN Fan
]
MLB and NPB have a mutual agreement not to sign draft eliligle players until the players have gone through their respective drafts. Japanese players in their final year of high school or college must go through the NPB draft. Likewise, U.S. and Canadian high school and college seniors have to go through the MLB draft process.
Mac Suzuki did not go through the NPB draft because Don Nomura got him to the U.S. at the age of 16, two years before he was draft eligible.
Once, a player has cleared the NPB draft process he can sign with a MLB organization as a free agent.
Likewise, a player is considered a free agent when he returns to Japan after playing in North American baseball.
Mac Suzuki did not go through the NPB draft because Don Nomura got him to the U.S. at the age of 16, two years before he was draft eligible.
Once, a player has cleared the NPB draft process he can sign with a MLB organization as a free agent.
Likewise, a player is considered a free agent when he returns to Japan after playing in North American baseball.
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My question is this: If an amateur Japanese born player signs with a MLB team would this in turn make the amateur a free agent under NPB rules?
I don't know the entire rule process concerning Japanese born players, but it seems to me that if a Japanese born player signed his first professional contract with a foreign team this should make him a free agent under the NPB system. American and other foreign professional players sign first time free agent contracts with NPB teams almost on a yearly basis. The fact that they have never played one inning for an NPB team doesn't change the fact that they are considered free agents in Japan.
My thought process now turns to this: What if a MLB team signs an amateur Japanese born player to a contract and then makes a stipulation in the contract that the amateur player can seek a free agent contract with a NPB team for a few years of seasoning?
This could calm the player in knowing he can work on his game in his homeland before joining the MLB system and get paid nicely in the process. I don't think that MLB teams would have a problem with players under contract playing in a foreign league. Many MLB players go south of the border during the winter to play in Mexico and the Caribbean. This arrangement would just happen to coincide with the regular MLB season.
Could this be a way that MLB teams can procure the best talent from Japan before they get into the NPB system? If this idea would work, could it lead to the undoing or lessening of the NPB reserve clause on their players? Would this lead to a more friendly or contentious relationship between the two professional leagues?
Y'alls comments are much appreciated.
-Greg Slaten-