8. Pittsburgh Pirates - Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford - Advisor: Scott Boras

They should offer Appel more money.

Appel picked, but soured.

They get a comp pick next year if they don't sign him.

They get a comp pick next year if they don't sign him.

This is probably a good ploy by Boras. The Pirates are left with the choice of losing the 8th pick from this past draft or losing their number 1 next year, which is almost certainly going to be worse than 8th and they lose a year of development time. They should offer Appel more money.

They can't, unless they want to be subject to the 75% tax. And I believe if they offer more than $4.5 mill, they lose their 2013 first round pick.

The comp pick would be in the same spot. Or maybe 9th instead of 8th.

They're offering him essentially the most they can without losing next year's first rounder. I looked at it last night and I think there could be small fluctuations in that number depending on what happens with the two other guys in the first ten rounds that they haven't signed. It's about $3.8m.

Appel takes it or leaves it, basically.

Put me down for 'take', and this is just bluster to see if anything crazy might happen before the deadline.

Do they get 'appropriate' slot money for both first round picks next year?

With these new cap system in place, it really sucks you can't trade picks.

The crazy thing would be that the Pirates think they got a #1 pick talent that dropped way down.

I.e., does a team that gets a comp pick essentially get a larger budget in the next draft (i.e., basically the slot money for BOTH slots)?

Its supposed to be a weaker draft next year...

Appel was pretty close to a consensus #1 this year

Appel was pretty close to a consensus #1 this year

The crazy thing would be that the Pirates think they got a #1 pick talent that dropped way down. Usually, a #1 pick in one year is worth more than the next year's number #9 and #15 picks, so it's worth it to break the rule

Yeah, I remember Buxton being considered #1, due to his athleticism and potential to hit for power. It wasn't until close to the draft that people thought the Astros would pick Appel.

I do think he would have been one of the weaker #1s though, not in the David Price-class.

Appel isn't that great a prospect, he isn't worth that kind of money, and the Pirates could probably do better letting him walk, devoting their remaining pool money this year to someone like Buehler, and taking a comp pick in the top 10 of next year's draft.

Maybe not at the time of the draft, but in the months before the draft, I seem to remember reading Appel was #1. He had some mediocre performances near the end of the year that hurt his performance.

He did get blown up in his first postseason start. Maybe that's what you were thinking of?

OTOH Appel is looking at going back to school, risking injury, and hoping he moves up enough to get more slot money. And he'll have less leverage as a college senior.

The Pirates have played this perfectly.

Didn't Appel turn down $6 million from the Astros, causing them to pick Correa instead?

unless Appel really just doesn't want to be a Pirate

If teams could trade picks, no first round pick would ever agree to sign with the Pirates.

Boras Corp. advisees aren't afraid to roll the dice by not signing. Only 12 first-round or sandwich picks declined to turn pro in the last 10 drafts, and four of them were Boras guys: Luke Hochevar, Gerrit Cole, LeVon Washington and James Paxton. All four got more money than they would have made in their first draft, even though Cole was the only one who performed up to his previous standard. Appel could try to follow that same path, either by returning to Stanford for his senior year or heading to independent ball.