FOR casual sports fans, sister team transactions have always been eyebrow-raising regardless of which league or sport it unfolds.
Not too long ago in the PVL, PLDT winger Erika Santos parted ways with her club of three years to join another Manny V. Pangilinan-owned team in Cignal.
READ: Sister-team transfers, 'conduits' barred as PVL introduces trades
Transfers such as ex-Choco Mucho aces Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla moving to Creamline and the Akari-Nxled mega-trade which saw Ivy Lacsina swap out neon green for hot pink have ensued in the PVL over the past years.
The league has also vowed to continue its pursuit of competitive balance and parity by introducing formal trade rules in the near future, one which already includes barring direct sister-team trades.
Not exactly a 'sister-team trade'
But what makes Santos’ PLDT to Cignal move any different?
For starters, the 25-year-old spiker was not ‘traded’ per se.
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo bared the contractual technicalities that led to Santos’ transfer to the High Speed Hitters.
“It's not a trade. It's an expired contract. There's a difference between a trade and an expired contract. Siguro, number one, you cannot trade a player with an expired contract. Kasi nga, 'di mo na player,” said Malonzo.
“In the case of Erika, nag-expire yung contract niya. Pinakawalan na siya ng PLDT, wala kaming hold du’n.
“Tapos na yung contract eh. Hindi rin siya pre-termination, hindi siya yung premature termination ng contract. Nag-expire talaga siya.”
Did the right of first refusal come into play?
“Hindi kami privy kung in-offer muna sa iba. Actually, du’n sa mga rookies, meron na kapag first round ka, may right of first refusal yung team after the second year kasi minimum two-year contract sila eh,” Malonzo explained.
“After the second year, bago mag-sign ng third year, may right of first refusal yung team.
“Now, for other contracts, depende sa usapan ng player at ng team kung lalagyan ng team ng ganung provision.”
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