Amid uncertainty, multiple MLB teams have asked league about canceling Rule 5 draft this season, sources say

Fallout from Major League Baseball's lockout of the players could have far-reaching implications on the trade and free agent markets, potentially slowing them because teams have clamped down on scouting of minor leaguers currently in spring-training camps due to uncertainty over the Rule 5 draft, officials from nine teams told ESPN.

Multiple teams have inquired with the league about the possibility of canceling the Rule 5 draft for this season, sources said. In the draft, teams can select non-40-man-roster players and pay $100,000 for their rights but must keep them on their 26-man major league roster for the entire season. No decision has been made on the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft this season, according to sources, but with minor league spring training underway and games set to begin as early as March 12, the opacity of the situation has left executives wondering how the league plans to handle the complicated case.

During their talks on a new collective-bargaining agreement, MLB and the MLB Players Association have yet to discuss the Rule 5 draft, sources told ESPN. Because it is collectively bargained, the union and league would need to agree on scratching it for one season. MLB and the MLBPA declined comment when reached by ESPN.

Fearful of losing players if the Rule 5 draft remains, 16 organizations have sent letters to all teams barring scouts from their complexes, according to sources. Only five teams are allowing scouts from other organizations to watch their minor league players, according to sources: the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners, who joined the group Friday. The five have formed a reciprocal agreement, in which they can scout each other's