Sox draft signings and reporting places

[fathom]

I'm really excited to see that the Pirates signed Stetson Allie.

[SoxAce]

I'm really excited to see that the Pirates signed Stetson Allie.

 

I'm loving their future. They are gonna have another top 10 pick next year. They got a few ways to go there, but there are gonna be a very good team in the next 3-5 years if all goes right. I still would like to see them sign McCutchen to a Tulo/Braun type contract before he gets too expensive. But their front office said they are much different on how they handle their business (obviously their drafting indicates that with the guys top $$) so that's good news for Pirate fans.

Edited August 16, 2010 by J.Reedfan8

[DirtySox]

#WhiteSox fourth-rounder RHP Matt Grimes has informed sources he will be going to #GeorgiaTech, not signing. Huge for #GT. #mlbdraft

 

http://twitter.com/ysportsncaabb/status/21370681467

[fathom]

Very disappointing to see the Sox fail to sign anyone above slot after the first round.

[danman31]

Good news for #Fullerton. #Rays 7th-rdr Michael Lorenzen and #WhiteSox 8th-rdr Joe Terry are going to college. #mlbdraft, #titans

 

http://twitter.com/ysportsncaabb/statuses/21371379334

[SoxAce]

Wow... Callis had me thinking we could get at least one of the two. I assumed we signed Terry and Grimes would walk, but it's very disappointing to not have both guys. (Grimes especially of course as a higher pick)

[fathom]

Just amazing how an organization that's trying to rebuild their farm system refuses to do anything to piss off Bud. Meanwhile, the powerhouse teams in the AL continue to go way over slot for their draft prospects.

[danman31]

Harper didn't get a lot of hype, but it sounds like he's getting $10 million.

[flavum]

10 mil for Harper. He turns 18 in 2 months. f***ing A, where did I go wrong?

Edited August 17, 2010 by flavum

[fathom]

Red Sox with just an amazing draft, as they were able to sign Renaudo.

[fathom]

Tigers spending a ton of money again to sign Castellanos, Ruffin, and their 2nd round pick.

[southsideirish71]

Very disappointing to see the Sox fail to sign anyone above slot after the first round.

 

Until our team gets with the program of investing in the draft or investing in the international signing period we will have problems with the farm. Investing in the farm should be the number 1 priority right now. Its the pipeline for either having in house candidates to fill gaps so we don't have to overpay for players, or it allows for the aquisition of a super talent. Think of what could of been if we invested a bit in the draft a few years back. Methinks if we had drafted a bit better and had better kids in the stable besides Lance Broadway and Josh Fields we may have had Miguel Cabrera.

 

We treat the draft like its a nuisance. Something we almost wish we didnt have to do because it requires investing money into an unknown. We had a great draft position this year and f***ed it up on kids we couldnt sign without going over slot which of course we are not going to do. So why draft the kids anyways. Its almost like a cop out.

 

 

 

Buster_ESPN

What we are seeing today almost across the board in the draft-pick signings: Most teams are completely ignoring the slot recommendations. 13 minutes ago via web

 

Most teams, unless they are named the Whitesox. This is how we circle the toliet bowl year in and year out with our farm system. Its not going to get better until someone else takes over, and they convince Jerry that this is a sound plan and can actually add value.

Edited August 17, 2010 by southsideirish71

[DirtySox]

Andy Seiler

 

Oh the White Sox. They hand out a pathetic $3.75 million. Their budgets for 2009 and 2010 combined will be less than some teams' 2010s. less than a minute ago via web

 

http://twitter.com/AndySeiler/status/21376046149

[OilCan]

Reading Seller's twitter, looks like some teams also matched the Sox on spending on the draft this year. Yet he calls Detroit "erratic" when they spent twice as much.

 

Even if the Sox did sign Grimes and Terry I bet the bonus amount would have been around 4.5 - 5 mil altogether.

 

Judging by recent history I wouldn't be surprised if the Sox did draft Grimes and Terry again in 2-3 years.

[danman31]

Judging by recent history I wouldn't be surprised if the Sox did draft Grimes and Terry again in 2-3 years.

Terry will be a junior at Cal St. Fullerton this year. He will be eligible in the 2011 draft.

[SoxAce]

Terry will be a junior at Cal St. Fullerton this year. He will be eligible in the 2011 draft.

 

Not to mention Grimes has a very good chance to improve his draft stock in a couple years.

[Springfield Soxfan]

The lack of spending on the draft is disappointing, hard to understand, but remember we did sign Alexi and Viciedo off of the international market so we have not been a complete failure there. The Sox give a contract number and hold pretty firm, it's very rare for KW and JR to make a late movement with money as they are so committed to the slot.

[maggsmaggs]

You build through the draft, that is the only way without a Yankees-sized payroll to be consistent winners. The Twins, Braves, Athletics and others have this figured out, the Sox, nope. WTF?

[NorthSideSox72]

1. The system needs to change. The slot system is a good idea, but only if its enforced harder. Players who refuse to sign after being drafted, if they were given an offer of at least slot money, should be ineligible for any draft bonus any kind in the future. That's a good start.

 

2. Despite not getting Grimes and Terry, this is the third straight draft by the Sox that I am pretty happy with. Looks quite good to me. Too bad 2009 got hit by the injury bug.

 

3. Until the system is fixed, I agree that we should be trying to be at least competitive in our draft spending, and find a way to get a few more guys.

 

[Balta1701]

Is there any chance that MLB strengthens their slotting system in the next CBA?

[witesoxfan]

I think you are seeing part of the fall out of the Edwin Jackson trade. Even if the initial deal was Hudson and Holmberg for Jackson (which is arguably an overpay to begin with), it could also mean the Sox lost out on signing Grimes and Terry.

 

It's been pretty clear that the Sox philosophy is to sacrifice spending on the minor league system to spend at the major league level. That philosophy won't change next year with something like $88 million committed to 14 players and a first round pick that is going to be in the middle of the first round at the earliest and could still realistically end up in the early to mid 20s. You have to figure that 2012 is probably the soonest the Sox can realistically spend any amount of money on the draft, but I still find that highly unlikely unless there is a completely different regime running the show.

[Ozzie Ball]

1. The system needs to change. The slot system is a good idea, but only if its enforced harder. Players who refuse to sign after being drafted, if they were given an offer of at least slot money, should be ineligible for any draft bonus any kind in the future. That's a good start.

 

2. Despite not getting Grimes and Terry, this is the third straight draft by the Sox that I am pretty happy with. Looks quite good to me. Too bad 2009 got hit by the injury bug.

 

3. Until the system is fixed, I agree that we should be trying to be at least competitive in our draft spending, and find a way to get a few more guys.

That's a horrible idea. Penalizing the players for refusing to sign is absolutely not the way to go. What if you're a top high school prospect (i.e Auston Wilson) who says to teams "don't draft me I'm going to college", then some team drafts you in the 12th round and offers you slot money ($60k-ish). Through no fault of your own you've just lost $2m+.

 

You'd basically be forcing all players to sign out of high school for far less money than they deserve. Either that or you'd get all the top prospects renouncing their U.S. citizenship and moving abroad so they could be signed as IFA's. Neither one of those is a good thing.

 

The slotting system should be removed and the signing deadline brought forward. If teams want to spend more money in the draft then they should be allowed. There's no cap on payroll's, so why should there be a cap on draft budgets? It's a completely legitimate way to allocate your funds, after all.

[NorthSideSox72]

That's a horrible idea. Penalizing the players for refusing to sign is absolutely not the way to go. What if you're a top high school prospect (i.e Auston Wilson) who says to teams "don't draft me I'm going to college", then some team drafts you in the 12th round and offers you slot money ($60k-ish). Through no fault of your own you've just lost $2m+.

 

You'd basically be forcing all players to sign out of high school for far less money than they deserve. Either that or you'd get all the top prospects renouncing their U.S. citizenship and moving abroad so they could be signed as IFA's. Neither one of those is a good thing.

 

The slotting system should be removed and the signing deadline brought forward. If teams want to spend more money in the draft then they should be allowed. There's no cap on payroll's, so why should there be a cap on draft budgets? It's a completely legitimate way to allocate your funds, after all.

First, the answer to this is simple - if you are going to college, don't enter the draft. No one is taking away your money then.

 

But perhaps a better way is to have a slotting system that teams have to follow, period - not just a suggestion. They establish slot money values, and teams can only vary from that (up OR down) in their offers by 10% or something. Might work better.

 

But if you allow teams to get into these continuing bidding wars in the draft, you will exacerbate the problem of having a handful of teams being good all the time, and that is not good for baseball.

 

Player payroll at the major league level, versus draft money - those are different animals. IMO, the best way to make teams more competitive in baseball is to make the ground even at the bottom - the draft.

 

[witesoxfan]

One thing they really need to incorporate is the trading of draft picks. In every other major sport (and, for the most part, in baseball as well), you can trade any player or pick that is under your control (with a few exceptions in basketball where you can't trade two first round picks in a row or something to that extent). However, you not only can't trade draft picks, but you have to wait a full year until after they sign their first contract to trade them. That seems outrageous to me.

[Ozzie Ball]

First, the answer to this is simple - if you are going to college, don't enter the draft. No one is taking away your money then.

 

But perhaps a better way is to have a slotting system that teams have to follow, period - not just a suggestion. They establish slot money values, and teams can only vary from that (up OR down) in their offers by 10% or something. Might work better.

 

But if you allow teams to get into these continuing bidding wars in the draft, you will exacerbate the problem of having a handful of teams being good all the time, and that is not good for baseball.

 

Player payroll at the major league level, versus draft money - those are different animals. IMO, the best way to make teams more competitive in baseball is to make the ground even at the bottom - the draft.

But the ground is even at the bottom. It's not like you have to spend $25m+ a year to be competitive in the draft. The difference between being a team that sticks to slot anda team that spends in the upper tier, is what, $4-5m? With the way revenue sharing is even the lower revenue teams can afford to part with that amount - and many do. It's a myth that just the top teams spend big money. Look at what the Nationals have spent these past two years, the Pirates spent well over $10m this year, the Royals consistently spend $6m, $7m, $8m+, the Indians spend over $8.5m this year, the Orioles spent over $8m. All of those teams have spent more this year than the Yankees, yet it's not going to guarantee them long-term competitiveness. Introducing a salary floor, or forcing teams to spend a certain % of their revenue on salary would be a better way to make the league more competitive in my opinion.