Baseball Draft???????????????????

Question

How come if a MLB team drafts a high schooler and he opts to go to college and not take an offer from the team, the player can enter the next years draft?

Why dosen't the team that drafted him keep the rights to sign him??

Answer 1

it doesn't seem fair to me. Joshua Fields was drafted out of UGA to the Atlanta Braves last year as a junior. He returned to college and this year the Seattle Mariners drafted him. I dont know why, they are never close enough in score to need a closer!

Answer 2

he can't enter the next year draft. You have to be a junior to get drafted out of college.  

Answer 3

It's a risky proposition for major league team to draft a player straight out of High School, but that's the risk there willing to take. Here's the official rule from MLB...

- A Club generally retains the rights to sign a selected player until 11:59 PM (EDT) August 15, or until the player enters, or returns to, a four-year college on a full-time basis. A player who is drafted and does not sign with the Club that selected him may be drafted again at a future year's Draft, so long as the player is eligible for that year's Draft. A Club may not select a player again in a subsequent year, unless the player has consented to the re-selection.

- A player who is eligible to be selected and is passed over by every Club becomes a free agent and may sign with any Club until the player enters, or returns to, a four-year college full-time or enters, or returns to, a junior college.

...Basically, it comes between two factors...timing and decision. The club that selects that particular player still holds that rights, even if the player has committed to a university. However, that August 15 time frame means that particular draft pick can still sign with the club anytime between the day of the draft and August 15 of that year, should he forgo college. After August 15, if that draft pick doesn't sign, the team renounce any rights to that player and that player is eligible for next year draft, so long as he doesn't hire an agent at any time. Any draft pick that hires an agent has no eligibility to commit to a university, since there violating NCAA rules, and would have to sit out one season or sign before August 15. I know this rules sort of stinks but it's all about conflict of interest because a pro team can't hang on to there rights while there at college (again a violation by NCAA).