Commissioner: Worldwide MLB draft will eventually happen

Rob Manfred says the league continues to support the idea of an international draft, but baseball's new commissioner hinted at something even bigger Tuesday: an all-inclusive event.

"I think at some point the equities are such that we are going to end up with some sort of worldwide draft system," he told MLB Network Radio. "A single method of entry into the game."

Major League Baseball and the players' union have previously discussed the possibility of a worldwide draft, but it was unclear whether it would take the shape of a single global event or simply a second draft for international players.

The current rules in place favor international amateur free agents significantly more than high school and college players who go through the draft.

While top prospect Carlos Correa secured a $4.2-million bonus when the Houston Astros made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, Cuban shortstop Yoan Moncada stands to make considerably more as an international free agent.

The switch-hitting infielder is projected to land a signing bonus in the $30-million range in addition to a lucrative multi-year deal.

Manfred admitted that the discrepancies between the two formats have made the idea of an all-inclusive entry into the sport a top priority.

"We have proposed, in a number of rounds of bargaining, a worldwide draft," Manfred said. 

The league previously said the idea of an international draft – let alone a worldwide system – would not be revisited until the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2016 season.