Which annual event lets MLB teams select eligible amateur players?

Which annual event lets MLB teams select eligible amateur players? The answer is the MLB draft.

The MLB draft, officially the Rule 4 draft, gives teams an organized way to select eligible amateur baseball players. Most selections come from high schools, colleges and junior colleges in the United States and Canada, while international amateurs generally enter MLB through a separate signing process.

The draft began in 1965, replacing a system in which wealthy or geographically attractive clubs could sign many of the best young players. Its selection order is designed to distribute new talent more evenly, with non-playoff teams generally picking earlier and recent competitive-balance rules affecting some selections.

The Rule 5 draft is different: it allows clubs to select certain players already in another organization’s minor-league system if those players are not properly protected on the 40-man roster. The trade deadline and Winter Meetings involve transactions and negotiations, not the main annual selection of amateur talent.