Kevin Goldstein describes the draft room on draft day

[Frobby]

Fangraphs has a fun article up by Kevin Goldstein describing what it’s like to be in the room on draft day.   I found this part particularly interesting:

[L]et’s be clear. The overwhelming majority of picks you hear on Day One of the draft are made with both sides having already agreed upon a bonus before the selection. There are reasonable rules provided by MLB as to how you’re allowed to frame those negotiations, but there is still plenty of room to allow the process to play out as it does. With somewhere between five and 15 minutes to go, the calls begin. Messaging from both sides of the table can vary wildly, but most parties are honest in their responses. Often, subtle pressure is applied by teams in the form of, “We have three guys lined up and we’re offering X dollars. You’re our top guy for this offer, but if you decline, we’re going to move to the next player on our list.” The most frequent response from agents is, “I’ll call you back in a couple of minutes.” From there, agents can respond with “yes,” “no,” a counter offer, or more information, such as “Don’t worry about my player, he’s going to go a couple picks ahead of you,” or “Don’t take my player, he has a better offer in terms of money behind you.”

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/what-goes-on-in-draft-rooms/

 

[Can_of_corn]

I find it funny when fans suggest that players should change their number after being selected.

That really isn't the way you want to start your career.

[Jammer7]

5 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I find it funny when fans suggest that players should change their number after being selected.

That really isn't the way you want to start your career.

Can you clarify? Do you mean to increase their number, or decrease and settle for less than what they were asking for?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Jammer7 said:

Can you clarify? Do you mean to increase their number, or decrease and settle for less than what they were asking for?

The former.

It seems every draft someone suggests that a player selected can just deviate from the agreed upon parameters and demand more money from the team.

For instance, someone might say, "I know Heston agreed to an underslot deal but now that the O's drafted him second he should just demand slot.  No way they want to delay the pick a whole year." 

[Jammer7]

13 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The former.

It seems every draft someone suggests that a player selected can just deviate from the agreed upon parameters and demand more money from the team.

For instance, someone might say, "I know Heston agreed to an underslot deal but now that the O's drafted him second he should just demand slot.  No way they want to delay the pick a whole year." 

I agree, though some have done it, supposedly. It is not good. This industry does not reward shenanigans like that. Be a man of your word, and embrace just how lucky you are to be in the position you are in. Of course, teams sometimes do similar things. I think Mike Elias has garnered a lot of respect in the industry for how he does business. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

I agree, though some have done it, supposedly. It is not good. This industry does not reward shenanigans like that. Be a man of your word, and embrace just how lucky you are to be in the position you are in. Of course, teams sometimes do similar things. I think Mike Elias has garnered a lot of respect in the industry for how he does business. 

I think it would tarnish the advisor's reputation to the point it would imperil their future job prospects.