MLB Draft: High school draftees can now hire agent

The NCAA will now allow high school players taken in the MLB Draft to hire an agent for negotiations without affecting their collegiate eligibility, reports

The NCAA will now allow high school players taken in the MLB Draft to hire an agent for negotiations without affecting their collegiate eligibility, reports Teddy Cahill of Baseball America. 

The new rule, which was sponsored by the Big 12 conference, was passed by the Power Five conference schools with a 75–2 vote with three abstentions. This means the measure will go into effect immediately for these schools, while other Division I schools can opt-in.

The rule will only govern how high school prospects can deal with an agent. Players already enrolled at a school with eligibility remaining are still prohibited from hiring an agent without forgoing their eligibility.

“I think it’s a positive step,” Francis Marquez, an agent with Magnus Sports, said. “Institutions of higher learning should be the ones that appreciate the most a young man’s right to seek council.”

The 2016 MLB Draft is set for June 9, with the Philadelphia Phillies holding the No. 1 pick.