The Comp draft pick is hurting free agency.

[weams]

Of course not. Well.. they might. But you'd see a lot of 1/40 deals.

Can you imagine how this would work with a 200 million dollar Hard Cap? Teams would save up for their one a decade runs.

While we are at turning back the clocks to civil war times, lets declare all international and amateur free agents "free" and then cap signing them to one year deals with a 10 million dollar minor league roster total.

[tntoriole]

Can you imagine how this would work with a 200 million dollar Hard Cap? Teams would save up for their one a decade runs.

While we are at turning back the clocks to civil war times, lets declare all international and amateur free agents "free" and then cap signing them to one year deals with a 10 million dollar minor league roster total.

1973 is a little far removed from Civil War times, but yeah, it can seem that way given the state of the current salary structure....sure, why not, Tim Hudson is worth 23 million for two years.

Finley did have this to say in 1973 to his fellow owners about offering the players union arbitration..."We'll be the nation's biggest ---holes if we do this. You can't win. You will have guys with no baseball background setting salaries. You'll have a system that drives up the average salary every year. Give them anything they want, but don't give them arbitration." .. from "Lords of the Realm."

[weams]

1973 is a little far removed from Civil War times, but yeah, it can seem that way given the state of the current salary structure....sure, why not, Tim Hudson is worth 23 million for two years.

Finley did have this to say in 1973 to his fellow owners about offering the players union arbitration..."We'll be the nation's biggest ---holes if we do this. You can't win. You will have guys with no baseball background setting salaries. You'll have a system that drives up the average salary every year. Give them anything they want, but don't give them arbitration." .. from "Lords of the Realm."

I did not mean 1973. I meant when there was no monopoly of baseball and all baseball players (Those who we're permitted to play) were free agents. Heck. Even the nineteen teens. Home Run Baker switched leagues for pay.

[tntoriole]

I did not mean 1973. I meant when there was no monopoly of baseball and all baseball players (Those who we're permitted to play) were free agents. Heck. Even the nineteen teens. Home Run Baker switched leagues for pay.

The reserve clause initially became part of baseball contracts in 1879. Of course, it was always interpreted as binding the player to an unending line of club option renewals or "reserves" and was then codified with the antitrust exemption given to baseball owners in 1922. But the same language continued throughout the decades after 1922 but then was reinterpreted by the arbitrator, Peter Seitz, in the Messermith/McNally case to say that since the two players had played one year without a contract (McNally actually had decided to retire and refused to sell out to the Expos bonus offer aimed to get him off the free agency challenge filed by Marvin Miller that winter), that they were no longer bound to the club and became "free agents." The reserve clause language was essentially the same as in 1879, the only thing that changed was a single arbitrator deciding the language didn't mean what it had meant for the previous almost 100 years. Large changes often hinge on one person deciding to act differently.

[crowmst3k!]

I understand the comp pick but after looking at the affects the last few years it seems to be hurting not only some players but also causes free agency to drag on much longer. There are alot of players that have not signed and everytime i read a comment it is we don't want to loose the pick. Morales for example would most likely be signed if a team didn't have to give up a pick. Jimminez and Santana cost teams picksa so they are reluctant to get a deal right now. This then is causing a contract to Garza to take longer beacause his agent doesn't want him singing for less then those guys later on when his client doesn't cost a team a pick. I know Tanaka is not helping the situation but there are a bunch of teams that are not in on him but still not making much progress with the other three.

I would imagine this does not help the playersw either. I am sure GM's are using that by saying we will offer you this but don't want to go higher because we loose a draft pick and also draft money. I doubt it happens but i have read two reports that say Morales may stay a free agent until after the draft because a team does not want to loose a pick.

effects* a lot* every time* I* lose*picks* than* players* lose* lose*

Also, commas.

[Go_Os]

At what point will signing a guy like Morales not cost us a pick? After the start of the season or will he cost us a pick if he's signed at any point in 2014?

[weams]

At what point will signing a guy like Morales not cost us a pick? After the start of the season or will he cost us a pick if he's signed at any point in 2014?

June 16th?

Day after Draft Day.

[El Gordo]

June 16th?

Day after Draft Day.

So if Morales waited until June 16, he could sign for a multi yera deal and the team would not be penalized? That sounds like a Boras plan.

[weams]

So if Morales waited until June 16, he could sign for a multi yera deal and the team would not be penalized? That sounds like a Boras plan.

Yes. You are correct. No penalty whatsoever.

[Migrant Redbird]

Yes. You are correct. No penalty whatsoever.

The loss of half a season is a huge penalty. Missing spring training is a real disadvantage too.

Once a player signed, he'd have to work himself into playing shape. That would be relatively quick for some players, but could take 1-2 months for others. Clubs would factor that into contract negotiations. It could impact total contract value as much as the loss of a draft pick does.

I remember Lohse signing with the Cardinals just before spring training ended in 2007. He got only one spring training start and pitched as well or better than those who got the full season. Then he pitched well enough that the Cardinals gave him a $40M/4 year contract.

When other pitchers reported to spring training, Lohse built a dirt mound in his basement and pitched practice sessions off that. It worked for Lohse; I doubt if it would have worked nearly as well for most other pitchers.

[atomic]

So if Morales waited until June 16, he could sign for a multi yera deal and the team would not be penalized? That sounds like a Boras plan.

He will have been off a long time he would need to play some games in the minor once he signed. I think waiting until that date would decrease his value dramatically. Plus teams will already have their budgets set.

[DrungoHazewood]

The loss of half a season is a huge penalty. Missing spring training is a real disadvantage too.

Once a player signed, he'd have to work himself into playing shape. That would be relatively quick for some players, but could take 1-2 months for others. Clubs would factor that into contract negotiations. It could impact total contract value as much as the loss of a draft pick does.

I remember Lohse signing with the Cardinals just before spring training ended in 2007. He got only one spring training start and pitched as well or better than those who got the full season. Then he pitched well enough that the Cardinals gave him a $40M/4 year contract.

When other pitchers reported to spring training, Lohse built a dirt mound in his basement and pitched practice sessions off that. It worked for Lohse; I doubt if it would have worked nearly as well for most other pitchers.

And Morales isn't that good. He's a 2-ish win DH who'll be playing 2014 at the age of 31. So for 2014 you'd pencil him in for a win or so after he's missed almost half the year, then maybe a 1.5 wins in 2015, and after that why do you even want to commit to a 1-win DH at 33 or 34? That's a 2/15 kind of deal, maybe 3/20 if you're really generous. His offer he turned down was almost $15M for one year.

I'd just as soon have the production (if not necessarily the risk and personality) of a Young/Colvin platoon for 1/10th the money and almost no commitment.

[weams]

Draft Pick

<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/136477050&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true"></iframe>

[El Gordo]

Good points. I agree the agents misjudged how the comp pick would effect the player's value. But is still unfair and needs to be fixed in the next CBA. Something as simple as freeing up the slot money, or making all first round picks protected, might work.

[Can_of_corn]

Good points. I agree the agents misjudged how the comp pick would effect the player's value. But is still unfair and needs to be fixed in the next CBA. Something as simple as freeing up the slot money, or making all first round picks protected, might work.

I am not seeing what is unfair about 14 million for a year's work.