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Unsigned Trivia Time

Posted Aug. 17, 2009 8:11 pm by Jim Callis
Filed under: Signings

Twelve first-round picks remain unsigned with a little less than three hours before the midnight ET deadline. The record for unsigned first-rounders in a single draft is four, in 1979: Juan Bustabad (No. 5, Athletics), Steve Buechele (No. 9, White Sox), Rick Luecken (No. 18, Giants) and Mike Stenhouse (No. 26, Athletics).

There have been four drafts with three unsigned first-rounders (1970, 1971, 1976 and 1989). Aaron Crow (No. 9, Nationals) and Gerritt Cole (No. 28, Yankees) made 2008 the first first round in seven years with multiple unsigned picks.

I’m still optimistic that most of the guys to whom the deadline applies (that doesn’t count Crow with the Royals at No. 12) will sign. We’re just going to have to wait a few hours longer to have that happen.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 17, 2009 at 8:11 pm by Jim Callis and is filed under Signings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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19 Comments

Thanks Jim, this is a big day, keep ‘em comming!

Posted by Bob Beban | August 17, 2009 at 8:17 pm | Shortcut

How many guys drafted in the first round that didn’t sign have come out on the better end? I just keep seeing Matt Harrington dancing in my head.

Posted by J. Hodge | August 17, 2009 at 8:24 pm | Shortcut

This just show the kind of black eye people like Scott Boras are putting on baseball. I understand these kids want to get paid, but sign a contract and prove your worthiness. Then when that first contract ends you can start making what you think you should. That’s what Evan Longoria did.

Posted by Ian | August 17, 2009 at 8:26 pm | Shortcut

I’ve appreciated having this to come back to after my various conference calls today. Thanks for the updates throughout the deadline, Jim & Co.

Posted by nick | August 17, 2009 at 8:29 pm | Shortcut

Gerrit Cole will come out better. But, if LeVon Washington doesn’t sign, he won’t sniff the first round ever again.

Posted by Joshua | August 17, 2009 at 8:29 pm | Shortcut

Ian,

Scott Boras doesn’t tell his clients whether or not to sign the contract, in the end it is their decision. Boras does what the players expect him to do, get the most money possible. If they don’t like the way he does business, they can either find another advisor or ignore his recommendation. Ultimately though if a player doesn’t sign and ends up in a worse position, he can only blame himself.

Posted by Joe G | August 17, 2009 at 8:34 pm | Shortcut

Longoria is a GREAT example. Signed right away, was determined to play quickly and move up as fast as he could, and the Rays rewarded him with a fat contract seven days after his major league call-up and he has continued to show he is worth every penny. That’s the rigth way to do it. Not hold the team that drafted you hostage for every penny you can possibly get. Scott Boras just ruined Levon Washington’s life, SERIOUSLY. He has nothing to fall back on. LEVON WASHINGTON = LEONARDO WARE.

Posted by Joshua | August 17, 2009 at 8:36 pm | Shortcut

Ian,

Evan Longoria has the worst contract in baseball from a player’s perspective. It is truly awful and baffling. Why would a player who is top 5 at his position on earth want to be paid like a platoon player?

Posted by Derek | August 17, 2009 at 8:46 pm | Shortcut

Nice job on ESPN News, Jim.

The lack of success of Harrington, Alan Horne, et al, is irrelevant to and not predictive of the prospects of Strasburg or the other unsigned players. It’s incredible to me that so many fans/media take the owners’ sides, instead of the players. This is a life altering decision and could be a player’s only chance to get such a high level deal. Why shouldn’t any individual work for the best possible deal for him/herself?

Posted by Dave | August 17, 2009 at 8:51 pm | Shortcut

Shortcut,

Yeah, these players are all familiar with the draft process and how it works and can find an advisor at 11:50PM to work out a deal for them. They can override Boras, but it doesnt happen often because Boras knows much more about the process than they do. Utimately, it’s Boras’s responsibility to present his client with the best offer tonight, make his recommendation and let them decide if it’s what they want or not. Unfortunately, I think that a lot of the players take his recommendation as gospel that they can do better next year if they dont sign at the deadline. It’s going to start backfiring more and more and costing the players money that they might never see again.

Posted by looney4baseball | August 17, 2009 at 8:53 pm | Shortcut

Hey Jim!

Love the coverage. Thanks for working late in the night for us and providing your superb coverage, it isn’t overlooked, thank you!

Any word on Purke and the Rangers closing that million dollar gap yet?

Also Strasburg has been dominating the coverage lately, but what about Ackley? Anything leaked out of that watertight front office?

Posted by Beau | August 17, 2009 at 8:54 pm | Shortcut

Against Josh, Levon Washington could have and can still (until midnight) sign any contract that is offered to him. What’s Boras have to do with him saying no? Boras doesn’t get paid unless Washington signs a contract.

Posted by Joe G | August 17, 2009 at 8:59 pm | Shortcut

Personally, I think the top prospects should sign in the end, but not because I take ownership’s side. It’s just in their best interests, since they risk an awful lot by hoping they’ll be as highly coveted after another year of college or independent ball. I don’t blame any of them for negotiating until the last day to try to get a better deal, but usually the ones who don’t sign have listened to some bad advice from people who don’t have their best interests first.

Having said all that, as an Orioles fan, I really appreciate that Matt Hobgood was thrilled to be drafted, signed for a reasonable contract that made him a twice-over millionaire at 18, and already has his first professional win (even if that’s a silly stat), while other teams are sweating bullets.

Posted by Steve | August 17, 2009 at 9:01 pm | Shortcut

Dave,

The lack of success other prospects is not irrelevant because it shows what can happen to someone passing up a lot of money. It may not be predictive of the prospects of Strasburg or the other unsigned players but it has happened to prospects and will continue to as long as the current system is in place.

Who’s taking the owners’ side? It’s soon to be millionare prospects against billionaire owners. Just because someone wants players to sign doesnt mean they are on the owners’ side.

It is a life altering decision and could be a player’s only chance to get such a high level deal, which is why they should get the best deal they can and then SIGN. Why wait another year in the hopes they don’t get hurt or play worse and lower their value? An individual should work for the best possible deal for themselves, but not delude themselves into thinking or letting someone else tell them that they are worth millions more than they are offered.

Posted by looney4baseball | August 17, 2009 at 9:04 pm | Shortcut

Joshua:

How is Washington guaranteed to never sniff the first round again? The guy just had a terrible season in which he blew out his shoulder and could barely throw a baseball, had to DH/play different positions, and he was still a first rounder. Pretty logical to think that if he goes to JUCO with a healthy arm he could easily get paid again.

Later you said that his life is ruined and he cant fall back on anything? Again…this kid could go JUCO and be draft eligible again next year. Daniel Webb just signed for $450k and he had a pretty bad season in JUCO. Webb last year: didn’t sign, failed to qualify for Kentucky, ended up at JUCO, still got paid like a 2nd rounder.

Posted by Boris | August 17, 2009 at 9:04 pm | Shortcut

Dave;

The reason “so many fans/media take the owners’ sides” is because sports is one of the few if not only profession where salary at the beginning of your career is higher than many veteran players. People also see a problem for paying someone without them proving themselves on a common “playing field”.

Posted by JC | August 17, 2009 at 9:06 pm | Shortcut

You mean the LV Ware who BA ranked as the 40th best prospect in Georgia in his HS draft year? The only thing LV Ware and Levon Washington have in common is that they’re both black. Ware got more as a Braves DFE than he would have out of HS.

How does Washington have “nothing to fall back on?” He’ll go to one of the many FL JUCO powers and be back in the draft next year..SERIOUSLY…

Posted by Dave | August 17, 2009 at 9:15 pm | Shortcut

Longoria’s contract doesn’t pay him like a platoon player. If Longoria went through the normal process he would be making league minimum right now and would always make minimum for a player with his service time until he would become eligible for arbitration. By signing that deal he skips the entire process altogether and gets more money upfront. Not a bad deal at all, and it takes a big leap of faith from the ownership to lock you up for nine years after you’ve been in the bigs for a week. It’s the same type of contract the Rays gave to James Shields. He only makes $1.5M this season, but that rises exponentially for the next few years until 2013. He avoided arbitration and getting paid the league minimum for two years.

Posted by Joshua | August 17, 2009 at 9:18 pm | Shortcut

thanks for working hard jim, I happen to agree with
Ian and Joshua on their comments !! MLB needs to stop drafting all these high school kids for this big money !! let them earn those big $$ after a year or two. what about that college senior ? who has earn his way into the draft? MLB punishes these guys and thet get nothing $$ they can’t bargin?? I would like to bargin for them as experienced baseball players with 4-yrs college (they put in their time)
keep paying out all this big money to kids that their heads are so swollen and no life experiences !!

Posted by mike | August 17, 2009 at 9:54 pm | Shortcut

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