Drafting Strategy 2011 vs. 2012

[phattybeers]

With the new collective bargaining agreement in place and stiffer penalties on overslot signings, I have been thinking what will teams (hopefully the Orioles) do to add as much talent as possible.

All the rumors (days after the agreement) was to not sign your top guy and spend that money throughout the rest of the draft.

If a Club does not sign a pick, its signing bonus pool is reduced by the amount of the pick. So, for example, if a Club does not sign its first round pick, and its first round pick had a slot of $1.5 million, the Club?s signing bonus pool would be reduced by $1.5. This is true of any unsigned pick, not just those covered by compensation. The main idea here was to not create incentive for a team to NOT sign a pick. Without this safeguard, a team could ?punt? a pick in order to divert those funds to another pick later on, which could result in a Draft that would look a lot like the old ones. In the next year?s draft, the Club would receive a compensation selection for failing to sign its first, second or third round selections, and the slot assigned to the compensation selection will be added to its signing bonus pool.

Source - Jonathon Mayo http://minors.mlblogs.com/2011/11/28/more-cba-goodies/

One of my first thoughts would be to utilize a signability pick. Especially if there is not much of a difference in the talent of two or three players. However, when you pick in the top 5 like the Orioles, it would be difficult to go signability. Although teams in the 6 - 15 range in some drafts may be able to utilize this strategy.

I assume MLB has thought about this and is why they gave "value" to the top picks. Mayo had the breakdown:

1 ? $7.2 million

2 ? $6.2 million

3 ? $5.2 million

4 ? $4.2

5 ? $3.5

6 ? $3.25

7 ? $3

8 ? $2.9

9 ? $2.8

10 ? $2.7

How will teams change their draft strategy? We may not know some of the stipulations (in the CBA) for several weeks. It will be interesting to see in the next 5 years how teams were successful and whether they utilized a specific strategy, or did they just scout and develop better?

[tilgaham]

With the new collective bargaining agreement in place and stiffer penalties on overslot signings, I have been thinking what will teams (hopefully the Orioles) do to add as much talent as possible.

All the rumors (days after the agreement) was to not sign your top guy and spend that money throughout the rest of the draft.

Source - Jonathon Mayo http://minors.mlblogs.com/2011/11/28/more-cba-goodies/

One of my first thoughts would be to utilize a signability pick. Especially if there is not much of a difference in the talent of two or three players. However, when you pick in the top 5 like the Orioles, it would be difficult to go signability. Although teams in the 6 - 15 range in some drafts may be able to utilize this strategy.

I assume MLB has thought about this and is why they gave "value" to the top picks. Mayo had the breakdown:

How will teams change their draft strategy? We may not know some of the stipulations (in the CBA) for several weeks. It will be interesting to see in the next 5 years how teams were successful and whether they utilized a specific strategy, or did they just scout and develop better?

If you pay a guy under-slot, do you forfeit the difference?

[Stotle]

If you pay a guy under-slot, do you forfeit the difference?

no, you can use the difference elsewhere.

[waroriole]

no, you can use the difference elsewhere.

Maybe the strategy from the Hobgood drafts is used more often now. That is, shooting low on your first pick (but still getting 1st round talent) then going overslot on a few guys who slipped.

[Stotle]

Maybe the strategy from the Hobgood drafts is used more often now. That is, shooting low on your first pick (but still getting 1st round talent) then going overslot on a few guys who slipped.

Good teams will tie strategy more closely to composition of draft class. Deliberately shooting lower with your first pick shouldn't be a focus unless the draft class and your slot dictate such a strategy.

[sangar]

I realize this is a subject in which I have little (any?) knowledge, but to me it seems silly to draft a signability Hobgood when a Machado is available just so we could add a couple of Randy Henrys later in the draft. If you have a high pick and you do not shoot for the stars, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

[Stotle]

I realize this is a subject in which I have little (any?) knowledge, but to me it seems silly to draft a signability Hobgood when a Machado is available just so we could add a couple of Randy Henrys later in the draft. If you have a high pick and you do not shoot for the stars, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

The issue doesn't come up if there is a star to shoot for -- only when you have a pick with no corresponding talent to select.

[Roll Tide]

no, you can use the difference elsewhere.

So it's possible they will draft players like Hobgood to get them to sign under slot. Great strategy:rolleyes:

[Jarman8675]

Well it looks like the amount of high schoolers signing will drop. College coaches everywhere are cheering.