Saturday, May 18, 2013
Draft Features Rarest of Prospects: Redheads
(www.baseballamerica.com)
Read More...The issue of redheadedness and athletic performance took center stage before the 2011 NFL draft, when Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed an anonymous head coach who questioned Texas Christian University product Andy Dalton’s ability to lead a team from the quarterback spot. The scout’s objections were based less on Dalton’s arm strength, pocket presence and his Wonderlic score than his hair color.
“Has there ever been a redheaded quarterback in the NFL who’s really done ...
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‹ First < 3 4 5 6 7 8In this case I think the comparison is more about him being 5'9. How many 5'9 pitchers have there been who also throw hard? But yeah, if he were 6 feet tall they would have probably just picked a different black pitcher to compare him to.
Peter Gammons suggested K-Rod, which is a much better comparison. K-Rod even had three pitches.
Is it not the first three rounds anymore?
I don't think this makes a whole lot of sense, just because I don't think many teams value lower-round picks enough for this to be a pressing concern. I suppose that one team or two might be exceptionally happy with their overall draft, and do the math and decide that their first rounder isn't worth the expense. But it's hard to see "many" teams coming to this conclusion, simply because the players they thought were the most talented were by and large the ones they took first.
Also, in an odd way the high picks have less leverage because waiting to enter the draft another year won't give them any real financial benefit unlike a later round pick who can benefit by playing their way into a higher round.
MLB has created a system which assigns a de facto value to each draft pick through the signing pool system. Just based on human nature, what draftee will sign for below their assigned value? Unless teams overdraft based on handshake agreements with the players, nobody is going to be very willing to take less than they are "worth.". Additionally, what agent wants to go back to his client with a deal negotiated at or below their slot value? That would make it pretty hard to justify getting paid for those services.
Finally, the biggest fish always seem to have the most protracted negotiations. Under the new system, however, the team's flexibility to spend on the draft pick will also reduce as other picks are signed. I think it's going to take time for teAms and agents to figure out how to do business efficiently under this new format. In the meantime, I expect a higher than usual number of casualties because one side or the other will overplay their hand. Time will tell.
Also, I'm typing this on my phone so cut me some slack.
Well yes, but this is a big "unless" isn't it? I can see lots of fourth-rounders wanting to sign for less than first round money.
I'm not sure a whole lot has changed for most teams. Most teams were already operated with de facto caps - because they were stingy. There are only a handful of teams - the Red Sox, the Blue Jays, the Nats, the Pirates and Royals more recently - that seem willing to spend big on players that slide. The new cap limits their ability, but they can still navigate under the right circumstances. But I just don't see a lot of manipulation of this system.
Don't you lose the cap money from that pick if you don't sign your first round guy? So if you went over slot on other guys then your cap gets really ,really tiny awfully fast. So you can't throw all your cap money at other picks and then leave your top guy unsigned to roll your pick over to next year. If you want to do that, you need to leave the slot money for his spot unspent.
Royals take a wild lefty who was bumped from Vanderbilt's rotation earlier this spring. Nice.
i like rahier as well, especially at this spot.
Yes. Say your overall budget is 6 million with 2 million of that slotted for your first rounder. If you don't sign that first rounder, your budget is only 4 million. Say you've actually spent 4.5 million on the other 9 picks, hoping to get your overdrafted first rounder to sign for 1.5. If he doesn't sign, you're screwed.
Rangers going for the toolsiest, best upside draft ever.
Phillies select Alex Rash - this could have great headline possibilities.
It's a kind of interesting strategy, in a threatening-suicide-to-get-a-date way*, "we have arranged to be totally screwed unless you give us a discount.".
*) Except here you have already paid a hit man to kill you if you leave without the girl.
They could put him at third to conduct an experiment in how many errors are possible in a major league season.
Mets guy on the speakerphone sounds just like you'd expect a Mets fan to sound like. Shades of Frank Rizzo.
A common response appears to be drafting a lot of cheap guys in round 6-10, to bank cash which can be used for higher picks or, likely more frequently, to pursue signability guys from pick 11 on. Quoting BA's twitter feed:
I think the new system is a real boon for teams like the A's as compared to the old system. Before they spent the draft cowering the in corner, terrified of ticking off Uncle Bud in their endless quest to get him to step in for them in San Jose (which still hasn't happened, of course). Now not only are you allowed to spend money, you're pretty much supposed to because you lose your slot holds if you don't. And since overall bonuses are capped you've got a maximum you can't bust, and no temptation to go big in the later rounds.
In short, the new system is a gift to all the teams who played by Bud's rules, for better or for worse.
O's take Ryan Ripken in Round 20. I assume Cal or Billy's kid?
Astros rumored to have an agreement with #1 overall pick SS Carlos Correa for around $5 mill
Royals rumored to have signed #5 overall pick RHP Kyle Zimmer. They have signed 10th rounder OF Alexis Rivera
Braves sign 21st overall pick RHP Lucas Sims for $1.85 mill
Braves also sign LHP Alex Wood (2nd round), C Bryan De La Rosa (3rd), CF Justin Black (4th), OF Blake Brown (5th), and C Josh Elander (6th).
Brewers sign 28th overall pick OF Victor Roache
Blue Jays sign 50th overall pick LHP Matt Smoral for $2 mill
Cards sign 52nd overall pick IF Patrick Wisdom
KCR - 3rd round LHP Colin Rodgers for $700k
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