Comments on: Free-Agent Compensation Update

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:46:53 +0000

An update on my comment about the loophole of not signing top picks and getting to spend that twice: No loophole. Had a club exec tell me if you don’t sign a player, you lose his cap space.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:39:46 +0000

Im just wondering if a team like the Yankees takes a risk on a Josh Bell type unsignable pick and then intentionally allows him to become a free agent so that they can throw more money at him after the singing period ends, while saving more of their pool money for other picks.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:20:04 +0000

Dan, re top 10 pick teams signing a modified Type A: The PDF attached to the CBA press release expressly states that instead of the former club getting the new team’s pick, they will get a choice immediately ahead of the pick the new team would have given up. So if the Astros sign a modified Type A, his former club will get the first pick in the second round.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:59:29 +0000

Josh, re the loophole: Yes, but no team is going to let that happen.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:58:26 +0000

Josh, re unsigned first-rounders: I believe that’s the case and others have pointed out that loophole. Not sure you’ll see teams pick players for the express purpose of not signing them, though.

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:24:28 +0000

Can you confirm that if a first round pick doesn't sign that 1.) The team will get a compensation pick the next year and 2) The team can use the "slot" value of that pick to sign other picks? If this is the case then it would make sense to not sign any picks that can net a team a compensation pick the following year. Each year a team can use its previous years picks (starting next year) and save its current picks for the next year – thus increasing their draft budget by several million each year.

By: josh

josh — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:35:34 +0000

Is the Scott Boras loophole from 15 years ago still around? The one where draft picks could become free agents if not offered a contract by the deadline?

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:59:11 +0000

Hi Jim – what would happen if say Houston (or any of the top ten) signed one of the A* free agents?

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:40:40 +0000

I believe the modified Type As are treated like any other Type As when it comes to sandwich-round order. Type As turned into Type Bs are treated like other Type Bs.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:39:09 +0000

Keith, believe that’s the case.

By: colin

colin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:48:34 +0000

Jim…thanks for the note. With regards to 1) A's come before B's, does that mean A's come before Modified Type A's which come before Designated Type B's that were originally Type A's which come before Type B's? Ha ha……

By: keith

keith — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:57:37 +0000

The Lottery picks start this year? Seems like there might be two rounds worth of added picks at the top of the draft. Would have made more sense to do the lottery picks stating next year, when the compensation picks are greatly reduced.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:49:37 +0000

Colin: It has changed a little bit over the years, but at this point the three things to remember are: 1) Type A picks come before Type B picks; 2) picks are in reverse order of the major league standings (and not tied to the quality of free agents lost); and 3) within the separate Type A and Type B groupings, every team with a choice picks once before any club gets a second pick. We’ll have to see how the competitive-balance lottery picks in the supplemental first and supplemental second rounds are ordered, but I bet they are assigned in reverse order of the standings as well.

By: Jim Callis

Jim Callis — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:46:56 +0000

Dave: They may cause more picks in rounds 3-10 to not sign at all, for the reasons you state. I think the more aggressive teams will try to load up on their early-round picks and do what it takes to sign them. If there’s not money left over for later picks, so be it. Just to use two guys as an example from last year’s draft, I still think the Jays would have found a way to sign Daniel Norris in the second round, and likewise for the Padres with Austin Hedges. If they had to pass on later picks, so be it.

By: colin

colin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:41:51 +0000

I've always wondered how the ordering of supplemental first round picks was determined. Anybody know?

By: dave

dave — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:08:29 +0000

Jim-

do you think the new rules will cause picks in rounds 3-10 to sign later? If a team were to have a difficult sign in rounds 1 or 2, why would it risk money on a lower pick when the team doesn't know how much the high pick would cost? It seems to me that teams wouldn't want to commit a percentage of the capped bonuses on lower round players when the 1st couple of rounds are unsigned.

Also-don't the new rules hurt college players on partial scholarships? With more high end HS players going to college, it seems those players would command more full scholarships, reducing the $ for lesser players.