Comments on: Why The Trading Of Draft Picks Should Be Allowed In MLB http://twinsfix.com/2009/07/17/why-the-trading-of-draft-picks-should-be-allowed-in-ml/ Just another Sports Blog Net weblog Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:43:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: TT http://twinsfix.com/2009/07/17/why-the-trading-of-draft-picks-should-be-allowed-in-ml/comment-page-1/#comment-996 TT Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:42:24 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=660#comment-996 I think you are way overvaluing draft choices. In that same 2004 draft the following players cost a first round pick to a team, in addition their contract and signing bonus: Eddie Guardado Andy Pettitte Keith Foulke LaTroy Hawkins Paul Quantrill Michael Tucker John Thomson And I doubt many of the teams who received those picks would have made that deal willingly. Certainly the Twins tried to sign both Hawkins and Guardado despite knowing they would get a draft choice. There is reason for that. If you look at who was drafted after Bush - only 5 of the next ten players have even appeared in a big league game and one of those, the third player taken, is Phil Humber. The simple truth is that most draft choices fail. Bush is really not that unusual. Then there is the case of Pete Incaviligia. His refusal to sign with Montreal resulted in the rule banning trading draftees for a year after the draft. He was the 8th pick and he brough Bob Sebra and Jim Anderson, two relief pitchers, in return. Anderson had been re-signed as a free agent the year before and Sebra was a 1983 5th round draft choice. Far from bringing several pieces in return, the value of a top draft choice is closer to a single major league role player or a minor league prospect who is close to actually being ready. Finally, I think it is important to remember the rules have changed since 2004. Now a team which failed to sign their number one choice gets a choice after the same spot the following year. So they can take a player and get a very similar bite at the apple the next year if they aren't able to sign him. I think you are way overvaluing draft choices. In that same 2004 draft the following players cost a first round pick to a team, in addition their contract and signing bonus:

Eddie Guardado
Andy Pettitte
Keith Foulke
LaTroy Hawkins
Paul Quantrill
Michael Tucker
John Thomson

And I doubt many of the teams who received those picks would have made that deal willingly. Certainly the Twins tried to sign both Hawkins and Guardado despite knowing they would get a draft choice.

There is reason for that. If you look at who was drafted after Bush – only 5 of the next ten players have even appeared in a big league game and one of those, the third player taken, is Phil Humber. The simple truth is that most draft choices fail. Bush is really not that unusual.

Then there is the case of Pete Incaviligia. His refusal to sign with Montreal resulted in the rule banning trading draftees for a year after the draft. He was the 8th pick and he brough Bob Sebra and Jim Anderson, two relief pitchers, in return. Anderson had been re-signed as a free agent the year before and Sebra was a 1983 5th round draft choice.

Far from bringing several pieces in return, the value of a top draft choice is closer to a single major league role player or a minor league prospect who is close to actually being ready.

Finally, I think it is important to remember the rules have changed since 2004. Now a team which failed to sign their number one choice gets a choice after the same spot the following year. So they can take a player and get a very similar bite at the apple the next year if they aren’t able to sign him.

]]> By: Andrew http://twinsfix.com/2009/07/17/why-the-trading-of-draft-picks-should-be-allowed-in-ml/comment-page-1/#comment-995 Andrew Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:28:02 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=660#comment-995 Thanks, Cody! Dave, you're absolutely right. Without slotting this will never happen. Thanks, Cody!

Dave, you’re absolutely right. Without slotting this will never happen.

]]> By: Dave http://twinsfix.com/2009/07/17/why-the-trading-of-draft-picks-should-be-allowed-in-ml/comment-page-1/#comment-994 Dave Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:16:36 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=660#comment-994 It will never happen. The fear is it will give even more power to the agents. The drafted player will demand a trade rather then report to a poor team. Now the only options are to sign or sit out a year because the player knows that a trade is impossible. Bad teams already have a hard time getting the top picks to sign, if the player has even more leverage it will make the situation worse. It will never happen. The fear is it will give even more power to the agents. The drafted player will demand a trade rather then report to a poor team. Now the only options are to sign or sit out a year because the player knows that a trade is impossible. Bad teams already have a hard time getting the top picks to sign, if the player has even more leverage it will make the situation worse.

]]> By: Cody http://twinsfix.com/2009/07/17/why-the-trading-of-draft-picks-should-be-allowed-in-ml/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Cody Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:22:12 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=660#comment-993 Nice work! Excellent article and interesting point. I agree, lets get this done. It would make things far more interesting and would probably create more viewers for the MLB draft. Nice work!

Excellent article and interesting point. I agree, lets get this done. It would make things far more interesting and would probably create more viewers for the MLB draft.

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