What is ‘Latin Baseball Futures’
A financial contract used to speculate on the potential of teenage baseball players from Latin America who are training to earn spots in Major League Baseball (MLB). Investors in Latin baseball futures finance academies that train the young athletes and receive a return on their investment when a player is signed to an MLB team. The payoff comes from a percentage of the player’s signing bonus.
Explaining ‘Latin Baseball Futures’
Proponents of Latin baseball futures see it as a way to provide opportunities for economically disadvantaged young men and their families. The academies not only train the players in baseball but also provide them with food, clothing and housing. Critics are concerned that the conditions at some academies are poor and that the system interferes with the boys’ education and creates incentives for steroid use.
Further Reading
- Swinging for the fence: a call for institutional reform as Dominican boys risk their futures for a chance in Major League Baseball – heinonline.org [PDF]
- The globalization of baseball: Major League Baseball and the mistreatment of Latin American baseball talent – www.jstor.org [PDF]
- El Monticulo (The Mound): The disparate treatment of Latin American baseball players in major league baseball – heinonline.org [PDF]
