I'm glad they waited til after the Cubs gave up 3 draft picks for Bob Howry, Scott Eyre, and Jacque Jones.

IIRC, this was discussed last CBA, and it was assumed that it was going to happen, but then it got tabled. I've always thought that there was a good chance it would take effect this offseason.

YES! YES! YES!

I hate compensation picks, I want them gone. Yes it sucks for the Nats, but before anyone cries about small market teams, go and check how many picks the Yankees and Red Sox have had over the last few years.

The whole supplemental round is a giant middle finger extended towards the KC's, D-Rays, and Pirates of the world. They are waiting to take their second pick while the Red Sox grab an extra 3 or 4 players.

And I'd sure like to see those picks out of Billy Beane's hands as well.

I've been saying this for a few months now, when many have assumed that the picks will be there for the taking this offseason. Both sides want them gone, and nearly got rid of them last time.

It's no stretch to assume they'll finally do away with them this time around, as both sides are in agreement on the issue.

So... what are the chances we see draft pick trading instead?

IIRC, this was discussed last CBA, and it was assumed that it was going to happen, but then it got tabled.

Actually it was actually agreed to in principle, but ten days later or whatever the two sides could not agree on the specific language and it reverted back to the status quo ever since.

I would like to see the end of FA compensation, but it seems a little unfair to not give clubs advance notice. GMs should have at least a full years notice as it can have a marginal impact on decisions like keeping Barry Zito.

Actually it was actually agreed to in principle, but ten days later or whatever the two sides could not agree on the specific language and it reverted back to the status quo ever since.

I would like to see the end of FA compensation, but it seems a little unfair to not give clubs advance notice. GMs should have at least a full years notice as it can have a marginal impact on decisions like keeping Barry Zito.

I agree....

Especially since the team I follow would be royally screwed if there were suddenly no FA compensation.... :)

Carlos Lee
Vicente Padilla
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Mark "F*ing A" DeRosa
maybe Adam Eaton (maybe)

F

re: advance notice

True, but remember none was given last time when the prelim agreement was reached.

I recall a Neyer article written just after the Ray Durham trade that discussed how draft picks played into it, but by the time the article was published, draft picks were (temporarily) no more :P

True, but remember none was given last time when the prelim agreement was reached.

Yeah, but clubs would presumably have some idea as to what was on the table for negotiation. What strikes me as unfair is that this report seemingly came out of nowhere (ie, the entire CBA isn't being renegotiated until the end of next season, IIRC). Maybe again teams were given a heads up about this, but it seems odd to be ironing out the details of something like this in a vacuum--which was precisely why they shelved it when they couldn't agree on what they agreed upon a few years ago.

Well, this didn't seem a report - it comes across as speculation, based on putting 2+2 together.

They've already started prelim negotiations on the CBA, and have been talking for awhile now.

"And I'd sure like to see those picks out of Billy Beane's hands as well."

God I hate lower primates.

God I hate lower primates.

Well, Marmosets don't care for the cut of your jib, either.

What are the chances that there actually will be a new CBA by this year's FA-signing season anyway? I think it's pretty likely that they play a season without a new agreement. I assume that means that the rules would stay the same for this off-season.

They are waiting to take their second pick while the Red Sox grab an extra 3 or 4 players.

But only because they trade all their good young players before they leave as FAs. Those extra 3 or 4 players could be theirs if they'd just stop trading all their soon-to-be FAs for crap.

Those extra 3 or 4 players could be theirs if they'd just stop trading all their soon-to-be FAs for crap.

Obviously the Marlins didn't get the memo that they were supposed to get crap from other teams.

As a lower primate, I just want to say thanks to you guys for filling me in some more on this. I was not aware that this was a proposal that was already out there and tentatively agreed to. Thats why I submitted this, to find out whats what. I look forward to reading and learning more. Carry on.

This is totally unfair!!!! How on Earth is Brian Sabean going to get rid of his first round picks NOW, if he can't sign FAs the other team didn't want anyhow before they have a chance to refuse to offer arbitration? The universe is conspiring against the poor guy . . . .

But only because they trade all their good young players before they leave as FAs. Those extra 3 or 4 players could be theirs if they'd just stop trading all their soon-to-be FAs for crap.

That's not the only way it works. Think about the great SS swap of 04-05 (Renteria-Cabrera-Eckstein). I know the Halo's didn't get a pick here but bear with me. 3 shortstops swap teams among 3 contenders. Their own picks are just swapped among each other, no harm here. But the supplemental picks are just bonuses for playing the free agent game. If these 3 teams had kept their original shortstop, those picks never happen and Tampa Bay, KC, etc. get higher quality second round picks.

Whether they make good use of them is a different matter.

I would be fine with compensation so long as only the signing team was penalized - the supplemental picks have to go.

This is totally unfair!!!! How on Earth is Brian Sabean going to get rid of his first round picks NOW, if he can't sign FAs the other team didn't want anyhow before they have a chance to refuse to offer arbitration? The universe is conspiring against the poor guy . . . .

Nah, he just drafts a guy who is unlikely to sign and gives him a lowball offer.

Sabean is always free to spend his first rounder on a primate and offer a signing bonus of 25 cents.

I'd probably take it though.

levski, I was responding to this:

The whole supplemental round is a giant middle finger extended towards the KC's, D-Rays, and Pirates of the world. They are waiting to take their second pick while the Red Sox grab an extra 3 or 4 players.

If he'd said it was a giant middle finger extended towards the Marlins, you'd have had me.

I would be fine with compensation so long as only the signing team was penalized

Which is one reason why the MLBPA wants the compensation gone, gone, gone - it places an additional cost/restriction on signing a free agent player.

17 makes a good point. Somehow I never realized that some of these free-agent-compensation draft picks magically appear out of thin air when a free agent was signed. I thought it was just a situation where the team that signs the player loses a draft pick, and the team that loses the player gains a draft pick.

This agreement would also allow MLB to do what it pleases with the First Year Player Draft. As long as free agent compensation picks were in use, the MLBPA argued that any changes to the Rule 4 Draft had to be bargained as part of the CBA. MLBPA, unlike agents, wouldn't mind terribly if the draft picks had enforceable bonus slotting and could care less how many rounds make up the draft. MLB wants to reduce the scope and cost of the draft. By removing this barrier, it makes everyone happy except the amateur players and agents.

This could also lead to MLB implementing the elimination of the comples leagues and returning to a reduced player development scope, ala the 1970s and 1980s.

This might be the tipping point for Scott Boras - if he can convince a player to take this through the court system, it could end the draft. I don't see it happening, but you never know.

The problem is the draft picks don't really have an impact because most teams that can't keep a free agent are afraid to sign the player so the player just sits on the market until dec. 7, waiting to not get an arbitration offer.
Most teams also wait. When they don't wait it is normally San Francisco or Oakland, which will make the move so they can slip an extra million or two into the big league payroll because that's what they save from not having a first or second round draft pick.