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Player Rental System?

Discussion in the Open Talk forum
Player Rental System?
I've seen a few articles on Japanese sites over the past month or so, mentioning a few people were looking into a "Player Rental System," for those Japanese players wishing to move to MLB. Players' Rep. Atsuya Furuta supposedly mentioned the idea at the Central League meeting on Jan. 24th, and I seem to remember Softbank manager Sadaharu Oh mentioning it a few times in Dec. of 2004.

From what I can gather through the various sports newspaper articles about the proposed system, Japanese players on NPB clubs are leased to MLB clubs for a pre-determined number of years, and after the lease is up the players would return to Japan, back to the clubs that leased them out. For those of you that can read Japanese, here's one of the articles I'm talking about, from Sponichi Annex (Japanese only).

I realize nothing is set in stone, but I'd just like to hear opinions about this proposed system, and also I'd love to hear from people who have any other information to add about this possibility. I'm wondering how MLB will view this, and if this becomes a reality, whether the time spent abroad by the Japanese players will go towards their Free Agency acquisition.
Comments
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jan 25, 2005 11:55 PM ]

I think all of us can remember the Murakami situation, when the SF Giants wanted to keep Murkami and the Nankai Hawks and the Giants got into a dispute. This would be something to keep in mind.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest: Jim Albright | Posted: Jan 26, 2005 11:50 AM ]

The Murakami situation was different in several ways than this idea, but the point about keeping what happened then in mind is wise. The devil is in the details - what if the player wants to stay and his MLB team wants him? Further, does NPB want to become a glorified minor league? I think that if such a system were put into place, such an outcome would become more likely. This is an idea which would need to be studied very carefully, and even then there would be the inevitable unexpected situation.

Jim Albright
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest: from japan | Posted: Jan 27, 2005 8:06 AM ]

I think a rental system is not a bad idea. Soccer leagues around world are using it pretty well. But I doubt that it will be in use in the near future. Japanese club owners are so stubborn and would not easily agree with this. Even if it is approved, you would have to negotiate with MLB and their players association. A rental system is not something popular in U.S., so it is hard to predict MLB's answers.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Jingu Bleacher Bum | Posted: Jan 31, 2005 10:32 AM | YAK Fan ]

Another item I can think of that might get sticky is the guarantee of playing time at the Major League level for the leased Japanese player. How would the leasing NPB club feel if the Japanese player spent much or all of his time abroad in the minors?

I think NPB will have to do research into international law as well, regarding contract liability, in case an MLB team wants to keep a player. There's also the issue of player merchandise, in case the team wants to sell player goods with the NPB players' name on it, and whether the NPB player will be a part of the MLB Players Union during his time abroad.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Jingu Bleacher Bum | Posted: Jan 16, 2006 2:49 PM | YAK Fan ]

This rental system talk has popped up again, in this Sponichi Annex article [in Japanese]. The article states that the NPB Executive Committee and the Player Related Committee with the International Related Committee held a joint meeting to discuss a rental system, as well as opening up a debate on reconsidering the posting system.

The Players Union is looking into a rental system like that of the soccer world (what exactly that is, the article doesn't state, and I personally don't know), with a fixed period for player transfer. The article also states there will be a discussion about reworking the MLB-NPB player agreement, as well as foreign player moves in NPB.

I still have not seen any concrete ideas as to what type of player rental system this is hoping to be. I can't see if it will involve minor league players, or if the Giants would allow their ace pitcher Koji Uehara to be rented out to a different club, possibly to an MLB one. The articles I've read are just too vague, only talking about a proposed rental system, and not any specific details.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jan 16, 2006 4:39 PM ]

[...] or if the Giants would allow their ace pitcher Koji Uehara to be rented out to a different club, possibly to an MLB one.

I doubt it. With a proposed rental system where players would be rented to clubs, wouldn't NPB teams be wise to keep the Murakami situation in mind again? Even though it isn't the same context, it still holds a very important message.

Anyway, Yomiuri has already said they don't recognize the posting system, why would they recognize a rental system where a player would be rented to a MLB club?
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Jan 16, 2006 6:10 PM | HAN Fan ]

The player rental system in football allows a player who is not happy with his club or does not fit in with the club plans to be loaned to another club and play for that club.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Jingu Bleacher Bum | Posted: Jan 17, 2006 4:53 PM | YAK Fan ]

Okay, I have finally seen some details as to a proposal, according to this article from Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). The article states that at the Dec. 19, 2005 Executive Committee meeting, Rakuten made a "Player Rental" proposal with the following three conditions:
  1. The rental period shall be within one year,
  2. One club will only be allowed to rent/lease up to three players, and
  3. Each club can make a list of up to 20 players they can "protect" from the rental system.
Some other related items that were brought up for consideration by other clubs were:
  1. What to do about possible leakage of club information, secrets?
  2. What to do about salary evaluations when the player returns to the original club?
  3. What to do if a player is injured during the season?
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jan 17, 2006 10:52 PM ]

Now it becomes more clear with more details. Clubs can protect up to 20 players from the rental system, the length of the rental system will be for 1 year (if I'm understanding it right?), and 1 club will be allowed to release only up to 3 players.

Though one question I have is why only protect only 20? I thought NPB rosters were a 1st team 40-man roster. I also share some of the concerns mentioned below, like what if a player is injured? What about possible leakage of team information, also what about salary information? Right now, I'm not so sure about this current proposal.
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Something Lions | Posted: Jan 18, 2006 12:47 PM | SL Fan ]

Why would 20 players need to be protected? Other teams can't just poach and rent players as they want, right? I thought two clubs had to come to an agreement (like a regular trade) in order for a rental to happen, or is it more like a DVD rental?
Re: Player Rental System?
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Jan 21, 2006 1:19 PM ]

What a stupid idea. How about letting these guys free after about 5 full years of service? The currrent system doesn't work, and if they decide to make the rquired time shorter, they should increse the foreign player limit to 5 to recover from the loss.
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