Orioles could have 3 picks before the 2nd round

[btdart20]

12 minutes ago, DocJJ said:

In my opinion, if MLB is not going to have a cap, they need to do more. There should be a foreign player draft like the June amateur draft where the teams draft the players in order of reverse finish. The worst team should have the opportunity to draft and add Yammamoto to their team, not whichever team's owner is the richest.  Teams above a certain payroll should sacrifice draft picks, and international draft picks. Teams that lose a valuable free agent should be picking at the front of the rounds in the draft, not after the top 30 players are gone...  there is a lot more that could be done...

Or the player's union could stop being such disgusting greedy pigs and allow a cap- like all other sports have done....

If Japan lost the posting process and Yamamoto could only be drafted, there would be very little motivation for them to come to the US and play.  

Maybe a case can be made for countries that don't have the baseball infrastructure of Japan, but maybe the whole under-aged legal aspect would come under the spotlight then.  From what I understand/assume, so much of that happened organically working around regular international labor laws.

If the union supported a cap, then less money would flow to players to begin with.  It's fundamentally opposed to the purpose of unionization.  At least now, the big markets spend.  The revenues of the game are shifting, so there's a chance something changes at some point in the next CBA.  But I think the big change will be among owners.

Small market teams do get extra picks and extra international slot money.  They get revenue sharing and don't pay a luxury tax.  It's not perfect, but "if a team knows what it's doing" then they can be competitive.  There are a few examples of how the winning can be "perennial contender" or "competitive window" based.

[LookinUp]

7 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

So, if the Os sign a player that has been given a QO, they lose the 33rd pick.

Right. Tells me they're not likely to sign one.

[Sports Guy]

41 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Right. Tells me they're not likely to sign one.

Realistically, the only guy who got a QO that they could sign is Gray and I don’t see why you would give up the pick for him when others are similar.

That said, you have to weigh the idea of money, years and, if you trade for a player, if you would rather have the pick or the players.

I think Cease is the most likely upper half of the rotation starter they get.

[btdart20]

Cleveland is on the clock.  I’d pick 22nd.

[waroriole]

I assume this is accurate about the pool money. Can definitely make some splashes for signability guys. 

[Can_of_corn]

On 11/14/2023 at 3:41 PM, LookinUp said:

Right. Tells me they're not likely to sign one.

It wasn't likely in any case.

[SpOkane]

2 hours ago, waroriole said:

I assume this is accurate about the pool money. Can definitely make some splashes for signability guys. 

The total ($8.58M) for the first three O's picks w/ 2023 slots is accurate and about $240,000 more than the 3rd overall pick was worth.  The total pool in 2023 values would be $12.45M and would have ranked 9th in total pool in 2023.  Also gives them over $600,000 in space for overages. For splashes, I hope they go into full cannonball mode.

[sportsfan8703]

It’s so easy to want to say just draft pitching now. We have three first rd picks. Holt is in the minors full time. Pitching is expensive in FA and in trades, but…

According to mlb pipeline, 13 of the top 14 prospects are batters. 2 of the 13 batters could pitch. There is a long ways till draft time. Obviously a lot can change. But we’re sitting there at #22 and one of those top bats could be. Like the Catcher from Stanford. Or the CF from NorthEastern. It could be nice to snag great value, great positional value, and not “reach” on an arm at #22. Then maybe that sets us up for the typical NCAA bat/HS bat combo we’ve seen with our first two picks. 

A lot can happen. It’s exciting to have a top 10 bonus pool. It’s also exciting to draft the bats and basically see them in AA the following year post drafted. Pitchers take a long time. Grayson was level by level and on a lot of pitch limits. 

[scarey1999]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It’s so easy to want to say just draft pitching now. We have three first rd picks. Holt is in the minors full time. Pitching is expensive in FA and in trades, but…

I don’t think this is the case. I believe Holt was promoted to director of pitching across the organization - majors and minors.

As for who draft in ‘24. Best player available, or best player on your board - however you want to define that.  Always.  Drafting for perceived need should never be a consideration.  You take the highest player on your board, believing and trusting in your scouting and player development folks.  You can always trade hitters you’ve drafted and developed for pitching, or vice versa. 

[RZNJ]

We have 3 of the first 34 picks, I believe.  I still expect 2 position players if not all three.  Don’t fix what ain’t broke.  The Orioles excel in finding hitters in the first 2 rounds.  Pitching still has a high attrition rate.  Pretty sure, just like last year, they can find good pitching talent after round 1.

[emmett16]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

We have 3 of the first 34 picks, I believe.  I still expect 2 position players if not all three.  Don’t fix what ain’t broke.  The Orioles excel in finding hitters in the first 2 rounds.  Pitching still has a high attrition rate.  Pretty sure, just like last year, they can find good pitching talent after round 1.

I agree.  I think they draft to maximize asset building vs. trying to fill positions.  I’m just a little surprised we havn’t seen more prospect trade for lower level pitching. 

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

I agree.  I think they draft to maximize asset building vs. trying to fill positions.  I’m just a little surprised we havn’t seen more prospect trade for lower level pitching. 

Could be that first they see what’s needed for Cease if that actually happens.  

[ScGO's]

This organization has to find a way to bring more pitching into the system. Elias has not used the draft thus far to bring in high level pitching prospects. He's quietly created quality pitching prospect depth through the mid round draft picks, trades, UDFAs, international signs, etc,, but this upcoming draft is their chance to swiftly inject top level pitching prospects into the best milb system in baseball. Our only weakness is a need for top level pitching. I would use all 3 picks on pitchers they have scouted, really like, and think they can develop.  The most perfect system ever developed. I would probably go with 2 college pitchers and 1 HS.

[RZNJ]

44 minutes ago, ScGO's said:

This organization has to find a way to bring more pitching into the system. Elias has not used the draft thus far to bring in high level pitching prospects. He's quietly created quality pitching prospect depth through the mid round draft picks, trades, UDFAs, international signs, etc,, but this upcoming draft is their chance to swiftly inject top level pitching prospects into the best milb system in baseball. Our only weakness is a need for top level pitching. I would use all 3 picks on pitchers they have scouted, really like, and think they can develop.  The most perfect system ever developed. I would probably go with 2 college pitchers and 1 HS.

In 2021 the Angels used all 20 picks on pitchers.  Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth reached the majors and look like nothing special.  None of their other picks show up on Baseball Americas top 100.   I like what they did in last years draft.   They spent some higher picks on pitching but still got solid players in Bradfield and Horvath with the top two picks.   Elias did a great job getting Bradish, Povich, McDermott, and Seth Johnson in trades.  I’d like to see them go back to that well.

[sportsfan8703]

3 hours ago, RZNJ said:

In 2021 the Angels used all 20 picks on pitchers.  Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth reached the majors and look like nothing special.  None of their other picks show up on Baseball Americas top 100.   I like what they did in last years draft.   They spent some higher picks on pitching but still got solid players in Bradfield and Horvath with the top two picks.   Elias did a great job getting Bradish, Povich, McDermott, and Seth Johnson in trades.  I’d like to see them go back to that well.

Kyle Bradish was one of those 20 pitchers the Angels took in 2001. 

So ways to add pitching to the org…

- 8th/9th largest draft pool in 2024 draft. Three first rd picks.

- Possible QO offer picks for Means and Santa. Long shots, but possible. For 2025 draft.

- ROY pick for Holliday. 2025 draft.

- Trade returns next offseason for when we have to trade Mullins and Hays. 

- 2025 draft. Comp pick B. 

- Keep inching up with our Caribbean signings. 

Edited January 18 by sportsfan8703