Outside the first round

[jcarm]

I am wondering if a team does punt its first round draft pick-will they still be able to sign a Type A free agent? If they were-this might benefit a team (such as the Yankees) that are typically very active in free agency.

[Stotle]

I am wondering if a team does punt its first round draft pick-will they still be able to sign a Type A free agent? If they were-this might benefit a team (such as the Yankees) that are typically very active in free agency.

Yes, they would just lose their second round pick instead of 1st.

[Stotle]

Has a player ever been placed on a 40 man roster from the draft who didn't sign a major league deal nor was ready for the majors?

No, why would a team do that?

[Crazysilver03]

No, why would a team do that?

Isn't that what you are suggesting? A player signing a major league contract automatically goes on the 40 man roster. But that is not allowed now. So what would be the premise of adding a player recently drafted to the 40 man roster?

[Stotle]

Isn't that what you are suggesting? A player signing a major league contract automatically goes on the 40 man roster. But that is not allowed now. So what would be the premise of adding a player recently drafted to the 40 man roster?

It would be a guarantee to the player that they'd be in the Majors within three years (actually by their fourth). MLB contracts afford you other rights than just being on the 40-man. Draftees pushed for MLB contracts for reasons other than being on the 40-man, but that is still a bone you can throw to them to prove you are serious about them being in the Majors quickly.

[jcarm]

Here is something from Ask BA on baseballamerica.com :

I know that the new draft rules no longer allow teams to sign draftees to major league contracts. But isn't that a formality that can be skirted by promising a 2012 callup?

Bill Sanders

Conway, Ark.

Teams are prohibited from doing anything to circumvent the new draft rules, and a guaranteed September callup would qualify. But as long as there's nothing in writing, it would be hard to prove if a big league promotion were a prearranged deal. And it has happened in the past, with the Giants and 2008 supplemental first-round pick Conor Gillaspie one recent example.

But a September callup won't come close to what a major league contract could do under the previous rules. A callup gives a player about one-sixth of the major league minimum salary (roughly $80,000) and the side benefits that come with a spot on the 40-man roster. A big league deal allowed a team to give much more money to a player and to spread it out over several years.

In 2011, the Mariners gave No. 2 overall choice Danny Hultzen a $6.35 million bonus and an additional $2.15 million in guarantees as part of a major league contract. Trevor Bauer (No. 3, Diamondbacks) got an extra $1.05 million, Dylan Bundy (No. 4, Orioles) landed $2.25 million, Anthony Rendon (No. 6, Nationals) received $1.2 million and Matt Purke (third round, Nationals) added $1.4 million. None of them got September callups, but all of them immediately joined 40-man rosters.

I'd bet you'd see a number of teams get around the bonus pools by guaranteeing players salaries in major league contracts if that were permissible. It's such an obvious maneuver that MLB closed that possibility in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2012/2613467.html

[Stotle]

Here is something from Ask BA on baseballamerica.com :

I know that the new draft rules no longer allow teams to sign draftees to major league contracts. But isn't that a formality that can be skirted by promising a 2012 callup?

Bill Sanders

Conway, Ark.

Teams are prohibited from doing anything to circumvent the new draft rules, and a guaranteed September callup would qualify. But as long as there's nothing in writing, it would be hard to prove if a big league promotion were a prearranged deal. And it has happened in the past, with the Giants and 2008 supplemental first-round pick Conor Gillaspie one recent example.

But a September callup won't come close to what a major league contract could do under the previous rules. A callup gives a player about one-sixth of the major league minimum salary (roughly $80,000) and the side benefits that come with a spot on the 40-man roster. A big league deal allowed a team to give much more money to a player and to spread it out over several years.

In 2011, the Mariners gave No. 2 overall choice Danny Hultzen a $6.35 million bonus and an additional $2.15 million in guarantees as part of a major league contract. Trevor Bauer (No. 3, Diamondbacks) got an extra $1.05 million, Dylan Bundy (No. 4, Orioles) landed $2.25 million, Anthony Rendon (No. 6, Nationals) received $1.2 million and Matt Purke (third round, Nationals) added $1.4 million. None of them got September callups, but all of them immediately joined 40-man rosters.

I'd bet you'd see a number of teams get around the bonus pools by guaranteeing players salaries in major league contracts if that were permissible. It's such an obvious maneuver that MLB closed that possibility in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2012/2613467.html

Again, that is focused on the salaried aspects of an MLB contract, rather than a 40-man spot. There is less clarity as to whether a 40-man spot is really circumventing what the CBA was going after. I say this because I know as a certainty that this is something teams are thinking about.

[jcarm]

Again, that is focused on the salaried aspects of an MLB contract, rather than a 40-man spot. There is less clarity as to whether a 40-man spot is really circumventing what the CBA was going after. I say this because I know as a certainty that this is something teams are thinking about.

I already realized this. I was just putting the BA quote out there for any further clarification it could yield for others. It will be interesting if any teams utilize the strategy you detailed about putting the player on the 40 man roster. It still would have to be a handshake agreement and could not be written into the MiLB contract. I doubt any team would not follow through on such a handshake agreement(because of the damage to their reputation it would do)-but it could possibly happen and the player would not have any recourse.

[oriolekid]

Mitch Nay is one name you should all know. Absurd power for a prep and has a frame to add even more strength/power(6'3'' 198)

[Stotle]

Mitch Nay is one name you should all know. Absurd power for a prep and has a frame to add even more strength/power(6'3'' 198)

He'll add more strength, but he'll already a pretty beefy kid. If he does add much more weight, he's definitely a COF (which is fine). He gets uphill some and didn't really hit in-game over the scouting circuit, though he did put on impressive BP displays.

[Stotle]

So did Billy Rowell. I'm not impressed with BP and hitting at team workouts. I'm impressed against reall pitching and real breaking balls and real changeups when you don't know what is coming or where it's going. This kid might be good but I'd rather hear how he did so well against a good pitcher. Right or Wrong?

I guess it depends on the reasons a player isn't hitting in-game, and whether it's something you expect to change. Matt Kemp struggled the barrel up balls some early on, but developed into one of the best hitters in the game. Extreme example, sure.

All things equal, yes, I would like to see someone have success in-game vs BP.

[Dain45]

A couple names I really really like in or around round 2-5 Trey Williams, Nick Williams D'Vone McClure, Preston Tucker, Keon Barnum, CJ Hinojosa, and Tayore Cherry. I would absolutely love to take one of Gausman, Correa or Alomora in round 1 then come back and snag Lance McCullers or Matt Smoral in round 2. Nick Williams or Pat Light in round 3 then one of Keon Barnum or Tayore Cherry in round 4. The more and more I watch I am really falling in love with Albert Alomora. I'm sure him and Machado are close since they went to the same HS hopefully Manny is talking him up. The perfect situation for me would be landing Jorge Soler before the draft then taking either Gausman or Correa in round 1.

[Stotle]

A couple names I really really like in or around round 2-5 Trey Williams, Nick Williams D'Vone McClure, Preston Tucker, Keon Barnum, CJ Hinojosa, and Tayore Cherry. I would absolutely love to take one of Gausman, Correa or Alomora in round 1 then come back and snag Lance McCullers or Matt Smoral in round 2. Nick Williams or Pat Light in round 3 then one of Keon Barnum or Tayore Cherry in round 4. The more and more I watch I am really falling in love with Albert Alomora. I'm sure him and Machado are close since they went to the same HS hopefully Manny is talking him up. The perfect situation for me would be landing Jorge Soler before the draft then taking either Gausman or Correa in round 1.

Machado was Brito Private HS; Almora is at Mater Academy.

[section18]

Thanks Stotle! Super job with the other rounds. How the Orioles pick in these rounds could really change the future of the team as we all know. i would like to see us add a few more lefthanded pitchers. The AL East teams still struggle facing lefties and we saw what Matusz did against Tampa yesterday. Britton could really help us when he is recalled this week and hopefully more lefthanders are on the way.

Does Brian Johnson the lefthander from U of Florida have more upside than Matt Smoral the high school lefthander?

[eb45]

Smoral almost certainly has more upside, he was talked about in the top half of the first round before he broke his foot and missed the whole spring. There's still plenty of questions about him, including that foot injury, but he's definitely got more upside than Johnson.