By John Manuel
August 23, 2005

Major League Baseball is moving ahead with a slate of changes to the short-season minor leagues and the draft, though owners postponed a vote on the moves last week in order to give organizations more time to study them.

Proponents of the changes argue that they will streamline the minors and cut player-development costs. The cost savings would result from having one less affiliate per organization (meaning fewer coaches and players under contract) and through slower signing bonus growth in the draft.

Among the most significant changes, the proposal would eliminate the Rookie-level Arizona and Gulf Coast leagues, which are based at spring training complexes; move the draft from the beginning to the end of June, with an eye toward establishing a signing date in August in the future; lengthen and move the seasons for the New York-Penn, Northwest and Pioneer leagues; and make instructional league longer and mandatory for every organization.

"As a group, the general managers are making an effort in an attempt to be more efficient in our drafting and developing," said Indians general manager Mark Shapiro, who along with Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski led a committee that studied the issue and recommended the slate of changes. "As with everything new, we are aware there will be logistical challenges. But it is our hope that we can subtly reshape the system to work more effectively for us as an industry."

On Aug. 23, general managers voted 23-7 to sign off on the proposals—first reported by Baseball America—and have them put to a vote by the game’s 29 owners (plus MLB, owner of the Nationals). Farm and scouting directors also got information about the changes at their meetings in Orlando last week, but they were not asked to vote on the proposal.

Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, presented the slate of changes to the owners in a meeting Thursday. According to several sources, a handful of teams either expressed opposition to the idea or asked for more specific details about the changes. Cubs president Andy MacPhail, whose father Lee and grandfather Larry are both Hall of Fame executives, best articulated the view that teams need more time to determine if the changes will really cut costs and make player development more efficient.

“We’ve been doing things the same way for 50 years,” MacPhail said Monday. “It’s reasonable to assume there are some inefficiencies in the system.

“I think we need someone to give ownership some reasonable specifics on what the changes are, and to give us time to canvass the people in our organizations to see if they believe this is a prudent approach.”

As a result, owners haven't voted on the changes—yet. Some sources said they expect owners to vote on the issue by mail over the next two weeks. MacPhail said he would be comfortable waiting until the next owners’ meeting in November to vote on the changes, which would take effect in 2006.

Those who work in baseball operations are split on the issue. Shapiro and Dombrowski have spearheaded the move to make the changes, which would include a draft combine (details on the combine are to be determined) that would serve as a medical clearinghouse for potential draft picks. With all the changes to short-season leagues, the Rookie-level Appalachian League would likely become a co-op league, with clubs sharing affiliates.

Sources said organizations that already draft more college players, such as the Athletics, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Rangers, generally are in favor of the changes. Organizations that favor a more traditional approach to player development, such as the Braves, Cubs and Twins, are among the seven organizations that voted against the proposal.

“There’s a club called the Atlanta Braves,” Cubs scouting director John Stockstill said, “that added scouts in the 1980s, focused on player development and was patient in rebuilding the major league team. It took them five or six years, but now they are on the verge of winning a division for the 14th straight time. The other 29 clubs need to buy into the model the Braves have shown can work, not try to pull the Braves and the clubs like them down.”

Contributing: Chris Kline.