2017 Prospect/Minor League/Draft Thread.

[Kerb Hohl]

I'm reading in one place that the Padres spent $75 million on international signings due to a 100% tax rate for anything over their $3.5 million slot they had. So, they got about $35-40 million worth of players and paid $75 million for that. They now can't spend over $300k the next 2 years.

1. Given that we did not go over our slot at all last year, I would highly suspect that even if Braun was cleared from the payroll that Mark would not have gone bonkers. We didn't even exceed our own slotted value by a little bit (and agree to pay the penalty).

2. We're going to get to have $15 million worth of players internationally (if we want it) for last year, this year, and next year. San Diego got $40 million worth of players in that span and paid a $35 million penalty to do so. Is that going to end up being a sound financial decision? They obviously likely went lower on their payroll in this short span of years to give themselves to make up for it, but they may pay $75 million dollars for an all star and 3 solid starters (and that's before they even have to pay their actual salaries).

3. Knowing #2, competing with the Padres would have probably made us massively overpay last year for guys given that you have 2 drunken rich kids at the auction so to speak.

[wichmae]

The point I originally made if you remember correctly was properly allocating funds. I preferred to spend in the market before the cap versus keeping higher payroll players. I wanted to cash in all the chips available and use the free resources internationally. And yes absolutely taken SD's haul last year and faced the 300K penalty for two seasons. Their international haul last season was ridiculous.

[Kerb Hohl]

The point I originally made if you remember correctly was properly allocating funds. I preferred to spend in the market before the cap versus keeping higher payroll players. I wanted to cash in all the chips available and use the free resources internationally. And yes absolutely taken SD's haul last year and faced the 300K penalty for two seasons. Their international haul last season was ridiculous.

Yes, and again this isn't a video game. Yeah, I'd probably have dealt Braun as well id it was the sole way that we could spend internationally. However, Mark barely spent last year even with Braun. I don't think they planned to either way.

Also, they'd have had to have dealt him before the deadline last year which may not have been the easiest feat if they were dying to use that $ and they were truly capped out if they wanted to allocate it to international signing.

The only trade we know of still forced us to "pay" some of Braun's far by taking back contracts and Stearns isn't the one that nixed that.

But again, I don't know why these are linked. If Mark wanted to, he could have spent at least a fair amount in the international market.

[wichmae]

Rumors are we'll have between 1-1.2 million to spend on after rd 10 guys.

[wichmae]

The point I originally made if you remember correctly was properly allocating funds. I preferred to spend in the market before the cap versus keeping higher payroll players. I wanted to cash in all the chips available and use the free resources internationally. And yes absolutely taken SD's haul last year and faced the 300K penalty for two seasons. Their international haul last season was ridiculous.

Yes, and again this isn't a video game. Yeah, I'd probably have dealt Braun as well id it was the sole way that we could spend internationally. However, Mark barely spent last year even with Braun. I don't think they planned to either way.

Also, they'd have had to have dealt him before the deadline last year which may not have been the easiest feat if they were dying to use that $ and they were truly capped out if they wanted to allocate it to international signing.

The only trade we know of still forced us to "pay" some of Braun's far by taking back contracts and Stearns isn't the one that nixed that.

But again, I don't know why these are linked. If Mark wanted to, he could have spent at least a fair amount in the international market.

I never implied anything irrational to be compared to a video game. What SD did last year was brilliant. I wished we followed suit and like Ive said a million times before if Mark didnt want to pay the funds for the penalty you cash in Braun for more "young controllable talent" and re-allocate those resources elsewhere which is better served for the team in the long run.

[trwi7]

Once again. The problem was never about Braun's contract this year. It's Braun's contract a few years from now, when he's older, probably hurt more than he already is and we're hopefully competing and guys are starting to make more money. That's where Braun's deal takes effect.

[Kerb Hohl]

The point I originally made if you remember correctly was properly allocating funds. I preferred to spend in the market before the cap versus keeping higher payroll players. I wanted to cash in all the chips available and use the free resources internationally. And yes absolutely taken SD's haul last year and faced the 300K penalty for two seasons. Their international haul last season was ridiculous.

Yes, and again this isn't a video game. Yeah, I'd probably have dealt Braun as well id it was the sole way that we could spend internationally. However, Mark barely spent last year even with Braun. I don't think they planned to either way.

Also, they'd have had to have dealt him before the deadline last year which may not have been the easiest feat if they were dying to use that $ and they were truly capped out if they wanted to allocate it to international signing.

The only trade we know of still forced us to "pay" some of Braun's far by taking back contracts and Stearns isn't the one that nixed that.

But again, I don't know why these are linked. If Mark wanted to, he could have spent at least a fair amount in the international market.

I never implied anything irrational to be compared to a video game. What SD did last year was brilliant. I wished we followed suit and like Ive said a million times before if Mark didnt want to pay the funds for the penalty you cash in Braun for more "young controllable talent" and re-allocate those resources elsewhere which is better served for the team in the long run.

I agree with you. Having a $20 million/year player on your roster that is above average but hurt all the time is not ideal.

It was not as easy to trade Braun as is being discussed.

Admittedly, I had a bit more of a middling take on Braun thinking there was a chance to squeeze out more value in a trade last year, but I never would say that it should not be allocated to younger players.

I still think that this idea is flying over your head that it is likely that Stearns doesn't have a ton of latitude to work with in dealing Braun both with other teams and with his own owner. It's not a common occurrence for a GM to be given clearance to drop $75 million dollars into prospects nor is it a 100% certainty of being a sound investment on the other side of things.

For Attanasio's case, as I've said, if he was going to give Stearns clearance to go all 76ers/Padres on this thing, he would have at least allowed them to drop $30 million or something like that in the International market even with Braun. He's given Stearns a reasonable amount of rope to work with in this rebuild so I'm not going to condemn the guy.

I just think you and twirly are making the captain obvious fan commentary. I don't think a single person on this board wouldn't cash in 90% of our remaining vets if we knew that it would go to controllable talent. Nobody is arguing that we should hold Ryan Braun or Villar to try to win 75 games this year. People are arguing when to trade these guys and acknowledging the difficulties that the GM may have from his own ownership or lack of good offers from other teams at certain times.

[Kerb Hohl]

Once again. The problem was never about Braun's contract this year. It's Braun's contract a few years from now, when he's older, probably hurt more than he already is and we're hopefully competing and guys are starting to make more money. That's where Braun's deal takes effect.

Yes, this is well understood by everyone on the board. However, it's not a massive issue and I think if Stearns could, he would clear it. He might have gambled at a time last year and lost with an OK offer that he passed on hoping for a better one. He knocked a 600 ft homer on hanging on to Lucroy and Melvin hanging on to Gomez (some luck involved for Melvin) and when to trade them. You win some, you lose some.

What would you rather have:

Take Brinson, Ortiz, and Hader out of the system and let's say that we only got Phillips for Gomez and 2 middling prospects for Lucroy. However, Braun's deal is off the books. Which would you prefer? Because that is what probably happens if you take the "get all of this salary off the books yesterday no matter the stock of the player" route.

It's probably a close call given that we may have drafted slightly higher but I'd take what we have today.

[trwi7]

How the **** is that even a comparison you're trying to make? $8 million for one more year and like $6 million for one more year compared to $80 million for 4 more years. At least try to make an equal comparison instead of throwing that **** against the wall.

[Kerb Hohl]

How the **** is that even a comparison you're trying to make? $8 million for one more year and like $6 million for one more year compared to $80 million for 4 more years. At least try to make an equal comparison instead of throwing that **** against the wall.

No, the comparison is that you were yelling at Stearns to sell off the entire roster every day while Lucroy was hurt and Gomez's stock was down and basically every other player we had. He is patient and tried to wait out the best deal for all...won on Lucroy and Gomez, lost on Braun but I'm not even sure it's Stearns'/Mark's fault. They had an accepted offer and the Dodgers backed out and it was too late to make any other moves.

I'm saying lessen the package in return for some of our trades in 100% tank mode twirlyGM.

I would trade all of Villar, Guerra, Braun, Knebel and of course wanted Lucroy, Thornburg, Smith, and Gomez gone. I think the difference is that you guys yell at them without knowing what offers are actually out there.

[dbrodz7]

Brinson back at it. Pretty clear it was dumb to have him sitting on the bench, as he's quoted as saying he wasn't playing and needs to play. https://www.milb.com/milb/news/lewis-brinson-returns-in-style-for-colorado-springs-sky-sox/c-239013524/t-185364810

[El Duderino]

Once again. The problem was never about Braun's contract this year. It's Braun's contract a few years from now, when he's older, probably hurt more than he already is and we're hopefully competing and guys are starting to make more money. That's where Braun's deal takes effect.

Maybe the last year of Braun's contract becomes an issue, but when you factor in that when prospects start getting called up more and more and they'll make pocket change for a long time, along with the fact that pretty much all of the current best players on the roster are either pre-arb or on a cheap contract like Thames is, i just have a hard time seeing payroll being a big issue.

Not only that, Attanasio is going to make a fortune this year and very likely the next few years given the low payrolls in comparison to the myriad of revenue streams.

My bigger issue with Braun potentially staying on the team through the full length of his contract is if or when young outfielders in the minors are ready to be given an everyday shot in the majors, Braun being on the roster blocks one of those spots and outfield is the deepest position between Broxton/Santana already on the team and multiple quality prospects at various levels of the minors.

CF especially will need to be addressed at some point with Broxton in the majors and both Phillips/Brinson in AAA.

[Iheartfootball]

Once again. The problem was never about Braun's contract this year. It's Braun's contract a few years from now, when he's older, probably hurt more than he already is and we're hopefully competing and guys are starting to make more money. That's where Braun's deal takes effect.

Maybe the last year of Braun's contract becomes an issue, but when you factor in that when prospects start getting called up more and more and they'll make pocket change for a long time, along with the fact that pretty much all of the current best players on the roster are either pre-arb or on a cheap contract like Thames is, i just have a hard time seeing payroll being a big issue.

Not only that, Attanasio is going to make a fortune this year and very likely the next few years given the low payrolls in comparison to the myriad of revenue streams.

My bigger issue with Braun potentially staying on the team through the full length of his contract is if or when young outfielders in the minors are ready to be given an everyday shot in the majors, Braun being on the roster blocks one of those spots and outfield is the deepest position between Broxton/Santana already on the team and multiple quality prospects at various levels of the minors.

CF especially will need to be addressed at some point with Broxton in the majors and both Phillips/Brinson in AAA.

That part doesn't worry me because at that point Braun will probably be relegated to 20-25 games played because of injury. He's like an 80 year old man at this point.

[trwi7]

Just updating on draft signings. 8 of the top 11 picks have signed. Lutz, Harrison and Hairston have not. If they all sign for their slot value the total commitment for our 11 signings would be $9,784,600 against a pool of $10,447,700.

That would leave $663,100 left in the pool to sign players after the 10th round which is basically the equivalent of the 84th pick. Since teams are allowed to go over their pool by 5% without the loss of draft picks and just a 75% tax on the overage the Brewers could potentially lift their pool to $10,970,082, which if every remaining unsigned top 10 pick signed for slot would leave us with $1,185,482.

Since you can now offer $125,000 to players after the 10th round without it counting against your pool, we could offer two of the higher ceiling high school players we took after the 10th round $717,741. Or we could offer three of them $520,160. Either way, assuming everyone in the top 10 signs for slot or at least in the neighborhood of slot, we will have some serious cash to throw at some of these later round picks as long as Mark is willing to pay the 75% tax, which he will because it is chump change to him.

[blazza18]

Kudos for know all that **** twirly.

[Sky Bucks]

Keston Hiura is just raking so far to start his pro career

[Turk Nowitzki]

Keston Hiura is just raking so far to start his pro career

I'd be worried if he wasn't crushing it in the Arizona Rookie League. His skillset is way beyond that. I assume he's only there to work on his throwing.

[Sky Bucks]

Keston Hiura is just raking so far to start his pro career

I'd be worried if he wasn't crushing it in the Arizona Rookie League. His skillset is way beyond that. I assume he's only there to work on his throwing.

You have to remember he's still only 20 coming out of college. With that being said I would expect them to follow their aggressive placement and see him in A ball soon.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Keston Hiura is just raking so far to start his pro career

I'd be worried if he wasn't crushing it in the Arizona Rookie League. His skillset is way beyond that. I assume he's only there to work on his throwing.

You have to remember he's still only 20 coming out of college. With that being said I would expect them to follow their aggressive placement and see him in A ball soon.

Meh, he'll be 21 in a month and he was drafted entirely on his advanced hit tool. I stand by expecting him to destroy a rookie league.

[Sky Bucks]

I'd be worried if he wasn't crushing it in the Arizona Rookie League. His skillset is way beyond that. I assume he's only there to work on his throwing.

You have to remember he's still only 20 coming out of college. With that being said I would expect them to follow their aggressive placement and see him in A ball soon.

Meh, he'll be 21 in a month and he was drafted entirely on his advanced hit tool. I stand by expecting him to destroy a rookie league.

Wasn't Corey Ray also lauded for his advanced hit tool last year? I guess I like having them start low for a bit to build confidence and then advance them instead of doing the Ray route with A+ out of college.