David Ortiz Says MLB Can't Rush International Draft Process Amid Labor Talks

Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz cautioned against the immediate creation of an international draft for MLB.

"The system in the Dominican [Republic] is not ready to have a draft next year," he told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Wednesday. "The Dominican is not the U.S. You can't snap a finger and everything lines up to operate the right way. We've got a new president who's trying to improve things. We need to do this slowly."

As part of ongoing negotiations with the MLB Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement, MLB has proposed an international draft to begin in 2024:

Passan reported the proposed international draft garnered a "mixed" reaction inside the players union. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal painted an even bleaker picture as to whether the idea will become a reality:

Bobby Abreu and Carlos Guillen spent 32 combined seasons in MLB. During an appearance on MLB Tonight on Monday, they both voiced their support for an international draft. Abreu argued that teams are too focused on prospects in their early teens at the expense of players who are aged 17, 18 or 19.

Baseball Prospectus' Jarrett Seidler also laid out some of the problems with the current system:

But San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. joined Ortiz in voicing his opposition to what's on the table:

Tatis and Ortiz are both from the Dominican Republic, so they have added insight as to how a draft system might impact Latin-based players. Their perspectives could be shaped by the issues laid out by ESPN's Marly Rivera:

If current and former players from the Dominican Republic believe MLB has indirectly allowed the present situation—one with glaring inadequacies—to form, then it stands to reason those players might look skeptically upon any solutions presented by the league.

Based on Passan's and Rosenthal's reporting, an international draft may be dead in the water, rendering the entire discussion moot for the time being.