MLB New CBA Discussion

[Schad]

The $1.8-$5 million range will work based off of team performance; so to get a $5 million pool you need to be the worst team in the league. Given that we're a decent team that should be improving, our INT FA pool will be on the middle to lower end on the scale.

Damn, I missed the range portion of it, and my eye just meandered to the dollar figure. I honestly don't know how any team agreed to this stuff, save perhaps the Mets (who are just so inept at every area of player development that this is a godsend).

[TheBunk]

These draft restrictions are going to push AA's draft philosophy to the extreme, I wouldn't be surprised if he only spends on high upside high school players and fills out the rest of the roster with college free agents. He isn't going to waste a dime on a marginal fully developed known commodity(most college players after the first round).

[TheBunk]

Quick thought that i'm sure will be debunked quickly. Could high school free agents(as in guys not selected in the draft) be a new angle that's gamed by agents and gms alike?

[Schad]

Quick thought that i'm sure will be debunked quickly. Could high school free agents(as in guys not selected in the draft) be a new angle that's gamed by agents and gms alike?

Probably not easily done by a means that doesn't violate league rules; someone likely takes any kid who'd be worth signing as a FA, even just to block.

[TheBunk]

Haha yeah, after thinking about it a bit longer, it'd require league wide collusion.

[TheBunk]

Our scouting advantage might not exist for must longer either, with avenues of improvement rapidly closing, what's to stop other teams from pooling left over funds into scouting?

[Randle McMurphy]

I hate the MLBPA for agreeing to all of this.

[WpgPage]

I hate the MLBPA for agreeing to all of this.

They got what they wanted, no more free agent comp I'm sure as soon as Bud came to them and offered them the new Compensation system they were pretty much ready to agree to anything.

[dagger]

Reading Rosenthal's analysis, it's clear this was owner driven. Even the MLBPA didn't quite get why they were so adamant on draft spending. What surprises me is that small and mid-sized markets went along with this in a manner that could cause them harm.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/MLB- ... ams-112211

This agreement may actually increase the chances of a lockout in five years, once the full ramifications are applied throughout MLB.

I am compelled to believe that there are some particularly stupid owners out there.

[Avenger]

I hate the MLBPA for agreeing to all of this.

this is a killer deal for the PA, they made concessions that don't affect their current members and they got a lot in return. The number of Super 2 eligibles will be almost doubled so more players will get the big paydays before free agency, with amateur spending curtailed and a MLB salary floor Free agents will be much more valuable. The average MLB players value should rise a little bit even if it comes at the expense of 16-18 year old kids and minor leaguers some of whom are already living in poverty.

Its sad that they made life much much harder for future PA members and that sort of selfishness seems antithetical to the concept of a union but you can't deny that the players got a good deal here.

[Randle McMurphy]

I know why the MLBPA did it, I just hate that they sacrificed the future of their sport to do it. This will hurt baseball considerably.

The only thing left for the Jays to do now is to start spending more money on the major league payroll. If they truly want to win, they'll have to.

[Homer Jay]

I hate the MLBPA for agreeing to all of this.

this is a killer deal for the PA, they made concessions that don't affect their current members and they got a lot in return. The number of Super 2 eligibles will be almost doubled so more players will get the big paydays before free agency, with amateur spending curtailed and a MLB salary floor Free agents will be much more valuable. The average MLB players value should rise a little bit even if it comes at the expense of 16-18 year old kids and minor leaguers some of whom are already living in poverty.

Its sad that they made life much much harder for future PA members and that sort of selfishness seems antithetical to the concept of a union but you can't deny that the players got a good deal here.

Yes it seemed to reach that tipping point where the signing bonuses were getting so big, that the MLB payrolls were really starting to get impacted. I mean you have to figure Pittsburgh was really holding back on the MLB money to fund those deals, and the players were starting to wisen up. Instead of "Good for the kid to get that from the owner!", to "Holy crap, that's coming outta my pocket too!"

[Wally West]

Watch AA find some other loophole in all of this scrum and act on it.

[distracted]

I wonder if a new efficiency for the high bonus guys will occur.

Maybe we'll see a strategy of picking all high demand guys, knowing you'll only get 40-50% of them. So you end up signing less players than other teams, but better players.

In the long run, quality usually wins out over quantity when it comes to professional sports drafting.

[mikero]

More draft details out today.... http://ht.ly/7IDHn

Here's some interesting ones:

Teams get an extra year of protection for compensation picks for failure to sign draftees from the first three rounds. For example, the Blue Jays get the 22nd pick in 2012 after not signing No. 21 overall choice Tyler Beede in 2011. If Toronto can't come to terms with the compensation selection, it would get another one in 2013.

Competitive-balance lottery picks (and only those picks) can be traded. They can only be dealt by the original team that held the choice, and they can't be exchanged for cash (unless it's cash to offset the salary of players included in the trade, subject to MLB approval). Lottery-pick deals can occur only during a regular season and not during an offseason.

[rarefind]

Apparently the more picks a team has the larger their allotted budget to sign their picks will be. So don't worry too much about AA not being able to sign all draftees if he wants. I think the leagues approach is to ensure draftees can't ask for a fortune knowing that it is all but likely they will not get it.

[Wally West]

How the New Updates to the Competitive Balance Lottery will Affect the Blue Jays



With the new changes to the CBA, how will this affect MLB teams?

Jonathan Mayo has recently posted an article up at mlb.com regarding additional details regarding the competitive balance lottery. Here are a summary of those details:

- The lottery will occur one day after the draft signing period. The tentative date is July 14th, 2012

- Teams will only be allowed to trade picks during the season. That is, from July 14th, 2012 until the end of the regular season. Teams will not be allowed to trade their draft picks until opening day of the following season leading up until the draft.

- Mayo also provides a list of the teams that will be involved in the lottery. They’re chance of winning is based on their prior year record. Teams are as follows:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Cleveland Indians
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins
St. Louis Cardinals
Baltimore Orioles
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays
Colorado Rockies
Milwaukee Brewers
As you can see, there is a mix of non-contending and contending teams alike. With the different philosophies of these teams, you’ll see them handle their lottery draft picks differently (assuming they win one, of course):

- Contending teams could immediately use picks to pick up pieces for a playoff run. Teams like St. Louis could use their picks to pick up relievers instead of having to use underachieving players like Colby Rasmus.

- Non-contending teams can use their picks to speed up their rebuilding process by trading draft picks for players with lower seasons closer to the majors. (Billy Beane will probably be all over this).

- Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays will continue to attempt to draft well and will in all likelihood hang onto their pick. Unless, of course, they’re in need of adding to their current roster.

How this affects the Blue Jays:

The Blue Jays, having one of the bigger markets, are likely never to get involved in the draft lotto themselves. However, they will be extremely active on the trade front. This additional aspect also adds to a comment I had mentioned in an earlier blog regarding relief pitchers (if you missed it, you can read it here). This new process almost recreates the Type B free agent reliever with some modifications.

Let’s look at Casey Janssen and Carlos Villanueva as examples. Both are in the final year of their contract and will not garner any kind of compensation once they leave in free agency. However, if teams engaged in playoff races may require relievers for their playoff run and may be obliged to give up their draft pick to obtain a Janssen or Villanueva.


Will relievers on 1-year contracts like Carlos Villanueva become the next Type B draft compensation for the Toronto Blue Jays?

Furthermore, against what I’ve also said in my last blog, it seems that AA will once again be aggressive in obtaining players on 1-year deals, especially relievers. All while continuing to stockpile young relievers. Basically, relievers have maintained the ability to receive compensation through trades of draft choices, or something similar to the Type B status of the past. If AA signs relievers to 1-year deals in the coming months, expect him to look to trade them next July, as well as Janssen and Villanueva.

August and September will generally become more active in the draft, as position players in the last year of their contract that will not garner compensation for their team and clear waivers, could be dealt for draft picks if contending teams still have them. September will involve more non-contending teams trying to get deals out of the way to add prospects for the following season.

Look for guys like Edwin Encarnacion, Luis Valbuena, Casey Janssen, and Carlos Villanueva as well as any 1-year signings to be included as pieces traded for draft picks. Also look for excess prospects that don’t project high enough to be included in the Blue Jays long-term plans to be included as trade for draft pick possibilities as well.

In final, the ability to trade CBL draft picks will become the new, morphed version of the ranked free agent, as teams attempt to unload players in the final year of their deal, as well as prospects not considered in their long term plans. Look for Alex Anthopoulos to explore it to the fullest.

With a continued growth in our current system, it’s hard not to imagine the possibility of Alex Anthopoulos attempting to acquire ALL 12 lottery picks.

That’s a lot of interviews, eh Alleycat?

http://jaysprospects.com/2011/11/30/how ... ment-10590

[distracted]

Apparently the more picks a team has the larger their allotted budget to sign their picks will be. So don't worry too much about AA not being able to sign all draftees if he wants. I think the leagues approach is to ensure draftees can't ask for a fortune knowing that it is all but likely they will not get it.

I'm really interested to see how the system actually works in full.

It'd be interesting if a team could accumulate picks solely for the purposes of adding room to their total cap, then take nothing draft choices with those picks so they could offer higher bonuses to the picks they were already going to make.

You'd need at least 3-4 teams doing it though, so that players could see this happening and know they could still demand bigger bonuses, allowing them to drop to the teams who are willing to take a quality over quantity approach.