draft improvements

[paul253]

i wasnt sure if i should put this in the draft thread because it's more of a hypothetical topic, but move it if its a better fit somewhere else.

 

Now that the draft is over, I was thinking about how to improve it. If you guys could make one, and only one, improvement in any aspect of the draft, what would it be?

 

although its hard not to pick a world-wide draft, i think the past few years shows that the best improvement would be to install a rookie salary cap, similar to how the NBA does it. For a guy who could have gone as high as #2 (Porcello) to drop all the to 27 because 25 teams dont want to pay him what he demands, is really unfair to the worst teams. Instead of taking the best player available as you can do in football and basketball, teams have to take the best player available they feel they can sign. Its unfair, and will continue to hurt smaller market teams unless its fixed. anyone have any other ideas?

[scottfossum]

I would also like to see it be a world draft. I think that works better for the small market teams. Currently half the talent pool can sign with the Yankees or Red Sox with no chance for the devil rays to afford them. Also it is unfair to American players who have less negotiating power than the foreign counterparts they are more restricted by the team that drafts them.

In addition I would like teams to be able to trade picks. Maybe it just the fantasy football in me but I think picks are an asset of each team if they feel they can improve their team by trading that asset they should be allowed. Being able to trade draft picks would help stop the free fall of certain players due to sign ability. Players would be more likely drafted in there talent slots. Example the Yankees could trade pics 27 and 94 for the brewers pick 7. Yanks could take Porcello brewers might still get Laporta and have that extra pick. There is enough big money teams who would compete against each other. The Red Sox don't want someone to fall to the Yankees so they made trade up to get that guy.

[patrickgpe]

i think someting needs to be done to get more picks on day one. for televising it we went from usually 20 rounds on day 1 to 5. I know you can't start any earlier if you want people out west to watch. i know you can't have the rapid fire draft like in years past. maybe stretch it out to 3 days.

 

The world draft would be nice as well and that would eliminate the posting system that we have now which doesn't allow most teams a chance to get the best international players.

[jackalope02ca]

Two things need to be done.

 

First MLB needs to put rules in place to ensure guys can't sign for more than the suggested slot. Then you can have Boras and others scream all you want. If a Milwaukee or Pittsburg want to draft someone they know what they are paying up front and draft accordingly. It also would level the bases for small market teams as guys couldn't demand more. Either sign or don't. If your any good prove it and then you can get your big contract.

 

A world draft is the second thing that needs to be done. It too would level the playing field.

[RyDogg66]

1. No more comp picks for anyone.

 

2, No losing picks for signing players

 

3. Hard cap on draft slots so guys like Jared Weaver, Porcello, etc etc dont fall to the Angels and Tigers of baseball.

 

4. Force any and all international players who declare their intent to play MLB to enter via the draft.

[paul253]

I agree that all this stuff needs to be done, but i am trying to make people pick one. Ideally, there are 4 things I'd like to change

 

1) World wide draft

2) Trading draft picks

3) Cap on how much a player can sign for based on round he was drafted

4) eliminate all sandwhich picks...keep rule of giving up first round pick if you sign type A free agent, unless its top 15, then lose 2nd round pick

 

however, the one i would pick if i could only pick one is the cap on signing, since i believe then the best players wouldnt fall into the 20's because nobody wants to negotiate with them.

 

in all honesty, I'm irritated Selig wont do anything like this. He screams as much as anyone about Boras, but a simple cap would clear it all up. Granted the players union wouldnt go for it, but would they really strike based on this alone, especially when the public probably wouldnt be on their side?

[ReverendBrewmeister]

I would like to see the MLB Draft become more similar to the NHL Entry Draft.

 

Listed below are several points about the NHL Entry Draft that should be incorporated into MLB. They should make things more equitable among teams, regardless of revenue. (Source of info comes from NHL Entry Draft Primer )

 

Eligible Players

Players who turn 18 by September 15 and are not older than 20 by December 31 are eligible for selection. In addition, non-North American players over the age of 20 are eligible.

 

A North American player who is not drafted by the age of 20 is an unrestricted free agent. All non-North Americans must be drafted before being signed, regardless of age.

 

Re-entering the Draft

A player not signed by his NHL team within two years of being drafted can re-enter the draft, as long as he is 20 years old or younger at the time of the subsequent draft. Players over 20 become unrestricted free agents.

 

NCAA players are an exception: NHL teams retain the rights to a college player until 30 days after the player has left college.

 

A team that does not sign a first-round draft pick is awarded a compensatory pick in a future draft upon losing the rights to that player.

 

A player who has been drafted a second time cannot re-enter.

 

Recent Changes

# European Players - Prior to 2005, NHL teams retained the rights to a European player until that player turned 31. Drafted Europeans must now be signed within two years, the same as North Americans, or the team loses the rights to the player.

# NCAA Players - As of 2004, 18-year-old players from NCAA Division I schools can be drafted and retain their college eligibility as long as they don't play for a pro team or hire an agent. In previous years, an 18-year-old who opted into the draft lost his NCAA eligibility.

# Compensatory Picks - As of 2005, a team that loses a veteran player as an unrestricted free agent is no longer awarded a compensatory pick in a future draft.

[RyDogg66]

IF I have to pick one, it would be the comp picks. They are annoying,

[jackalope02ca]

That's the one thing the NHL does right. It would also allow players to start college and the team still retains their rights for 2 years. Not bad for anyone.

[paul253]

it just seems like if you take 1/3 NHL draft (allowing kids to go to college after signing while still retaining the players rights) 1/3 NBA draft (contract caps on rookie contracts/world wide draft) and 1/3 NFL draft (trade draft picks/compensatory picks for losing players but nothing to the extent of 3 extra picks before the third round), you'd have the perfect MLB draft

[PeaveyFury]

Trading draft picks would go a very long way to adding excitement to the draft.

[GagneCY03]

Interesting note on international players in the draft: when Bud Selig assembled his blue-ribbon panel back in 1999, one of their suggestions for enhanced competitive balance was to internationalize the draft. It really doesnt make sense that amateurs from foreign countries are treated differently from amateur players from the USA, Canada and Puerto Rico. Making Latin American players free agents instead of draft-eligible prospects favors large market teams, which hurts competitive balance. So I think that's one issue that should be changed.

 

Also, I think MLB should institute a free agent compensation system similar to the one the NFL uses. No one loses picks and it's based on free agents acquired vs free agents lost. And slot money should be the maximum a player can sign for, since asking for ridiculous contracts causes players to fall to larger market teams.

[paul253]

Im just curious...lets say that Selig all of a sudden does take a hardball stance on changing the draft. How much of a fight would the players union put up? I cant imagine it would be a lot, so why not just do it already?

[VeggieBadger]

I think that the have to do something like the NHL were your draft rights are held the entire time that you are in college. Or you have to do something like in the NBA, where once you declare for the draft, you are no longer eligible to play in the NCAA (although I guess this would be up to the NCAA). And then you have to sign for the allotted first-round value (if you are drafted in the first round), or your rights are owned for three years.

 

I tend to like the NBA style where you have to declare to be in the draft. This way it allows players to improve their draft standing (and subsequent financial standing) by staying in school, but once they do decide to declare, they are locked into staying with the team that picked them.

[monty57]

Im just curious...lets say that Selig all of a sudden does take a hardball stance on changing the draft. How much of a fight would the players union put up? I cant imagine it would be a lot, so why not just do it already?

 

Capping rookie contracts and creating a world-wide draft would cost the union a LOT of money (Ex: Matsusake signing a $50MM+ contract vs. getting league minimum / arbitration for the next six seasons).

 

The new rules for the draft were just instituted in the new CBA, so the earliest it could happen is when the new CBA expires, as U.S. Labor Laws would not allow for Selig to "just do it." Even then, the owners would have to give up a lot in order for either of these two things to happen.

[patrickgpe]

i would like to see teams be able to trade picks. The brewers could of moved down to get LaPorta and probably got a second round pick in it. I know it would become a mess with 50 rounds, but since every other league permits it, i don't see why baseball can't.

[foamboy1]

I too like the trading of picks.

 

With baseball clearly trying to make their draft a bigger event, I would not be surprised if this happens. There is not much downside to the union on trading of picks.

[igor67]

Actually it is in the union's interest to cap rookies. THe union represents major league players not minor league players. They want less money for them and more for the current MLB players. Every 10 million dollar mega contract to an unproven minor leaguer is less money for a union voter.

[paul253]

THe union represents major league players not minor league players

 

i thought i heard that somewhere. not to mention for some teams, if they have to fork over big bucks for draftees, they might not be willing to pay full price on free agents, hurting current major leaguers. considering the vast majority of draftees never make it to the show, i cant imagine the union would care all that much.