MLB Draft Deadline: Some Insight Into Bud's Self Made Problem

With the imposed draft signing deadline one day away we are reminded of the biggest problem(s) with the Major League Baseball draft and the way the Commissioner’s office has tried, and often times failed, to handcuff the draft. Teams have begun to invest a lot more of their time and money into the draft every year. As a result, the prices of these contracts has gotten bigger and bigger year after year. Last year, the largest contract ever given to a draft pick was given to Stephen Strasburg ($15.1 million total value).

At this year’s deadline it’s expected to feature the largest contract ever given to a position player when Bryce Harper signs his deal with the Nationals. The current record is held by Mark Teixeira when he signed for $9.5 million with the Texas Rangers in 2001. The bigger issue is not these draft signings, rather the way that the commissioner’s office has tried to handcuff the draft, as well as the teams and players.

There is a “recommended slotting system” that MLB has tried to institute to try and regulate the draft. Some teams will follow it blindly and it effects the way that a team drafts. Instead of going after the premium high end talent these teams will draft based on guys they know will sign for the slot money.

This has caused a huge gap between the teams that draft based on potential and those that draft based on the MLB’s system. Look at teams that are in contention right now: Tampa Bay, Texas, and Boston have drafted as well as any teams in the last 5-10 years and they are going to make the playoffs or at least remain in contention for the year. The Giants have gotten a two-time Cy Young winner in Tim Lincecum, arguably the best rookie catcher to come along since Joe Mauer in Buster Posey, and a potentially dominant left-handed pitcher to compliment Lincecum in Madison Bumgarner.

The teams that are in the most severe danger of being out of contention for a long time have drafted based on slot recommendations: Houston, Toronto (though they have started to turn things around since J.P. Riccardi left), New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers. The draft has changed and some of these teams are still stuck in the old way of doing things.

The commissioner’s office has seen these draft signings go above and beyond slot recommendations and as a result most of these deals that get agreed to well in advance of the self-imposed deadline won’t get announced until just before the midnight to try and keep signings and bonus money down. Fortunately, the teams have seen the benefits of the draft and will go above and beyond to sign their talent.

There is currently nothing in the collective bargaining agreement that deals with the draft, such as picks being traded. However, with the draft becoming more and more of a priority each and every year it would likely be in everyone’s best interest if the draft was addressed in the next CBA allowing teams the freedom to sign picks and give some leverage to the draft picks without having to worry about some self imposed “slot recommendation” from the commissioner’s office.