Sox draft signings and reporting places

[NorthSideSox72]

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.

A salary floor as a % of revenue doesn't work because teams will have wildly different cost structures outside of player personnel. Stadiums they own or don't, have to maintain or not, for example. Tax structure. Things that are not easily modified.

 

I see what you are saying, you don't have to spend player personnel type salaries to be competitive in the draft. And as I said, until the system changes, the Sox should really work to put more money into the farm and the draft. No argument from me there. I just disagree on the way to make the rules better.

 

[maggsmaggs]

I for one would rather have a payroll $5 million lower each year, if it meant a draft budget of that much more. Sox are consistently one of the lowest spenders in the draft, and then we wonder why are system is brutal. There's your answer. If the Sox ever want to have consistent success, the money needs to be into the draft. It's actually embarrassing 1) how bad the Sox are at drafting and 2) how little resources they put into the draft.

[Chisoxfn]

Absolutely brutal. 4th round picks are pretty high picks and we let ours get away. The Sox continued cheapness in the draft and player development is just downright deplorable. We have a 100M payroll and put nothing into our farm system. I'd rather cheap out a bit on the big league team and put an extra 4M into our farm system because that 4M can pay off exponentially.

[Big Daddy Kool]

Wait they signed most of their draft picks, last time I checked. The 1st pick is currently a LOOGY on the MLB club. How are they being too cheap?

 

Absolutely brutal. 4th round picks are pretty high picks and we let ours get away. The Sox continued cheapness in the draft and player development is just downright deplorable. We have a 100M payroll and put nothing into our farm system. I'd rather cheap out a bit on the big league team and put an extra 4M into our farm system because that 4M can pay off exponentially.

 

[witesoxfan]

Wait they signed most of their draft picks, last time I checked. The 1st pick is currently a LOOGY on the MLB club. How are they being too cheap?

 

Because the guys they drafted and did sign signed for relatively cheaply, and they knew this would be the case before the drafted them.

 

The White Sox spend something like $3.75 mill on the entire draft. As was pointed out earlier, there are a number of smaller market teams that spend anywhere from $6-8 mill on the draft, and as a result, their minor league systems have improved vastly in the past few years.

 

It's obviously not all about spending money on the draft, and some of the contracts handed out to players is wasted...the Sox have dealt with personally with Joe Borchard, who was projected to be a huge power hitter and his game fizzled out...but the best way to improve a minor league system is to fill it with talent. It's one thing to take relatively untalented players and turn them into major league players, and the Twins have executed this as well as any organization over the past decade. It's a completely different story to actually take risks and spend some money on highly talented players, and then develop them. When that is accomplished properly, you can create teams that can sustain success while allowing yourself some room for error. As of right now, if everything doesn't go according to plan for the White Sox, they generally have to scramble to make up for mistakes that have occurred due to the inconsistent nature of humans. Jake Peavy got injured, so the Sox traded for Edwin Jackson. The offense has been a major problem all year, but due to the lack of depth within the White Sox farm system (completely ignoring the Sox not signing Jim Thome), they weren't able to add anyone else besides Edwin Jackson, and they now have to hope and pray that the offense can become productive again, or that Manny Ramirez either clears waivers or makes it to the Sox, they claim him, and they can handle the rest of the money that is on his contract.

[Ozzie Ball]

And the 2010 draft keeps getting crazier. Barret Loux to become a FA on 9/1:

 

The 2010 draft keeps making news even after the signing deadline has passed, with the unprecedented step Tuesday of the Diamondbacks and unsigned first-rounder Barret Loux working with the commissioner's office to make Loux a free agent on Sept. 1.

 

The Diamondbacks selected Loux, a righthander out of Texas A&M, sixth overall in the draft in June, but they didn't sign Loux after he reportedly failed a physical. Now, they have issued a joint press release with Loux, indicating commissioner Bud Selig has declared Loux a free agent.

 

The statement reads:

 

“We have reached an agreement regarding Barret Loux’s status that is mutually beneficial to the parties. Today Commissioner Selig has announced that Loux will become a free agent on September 1. As such, he will be free to sign with any Major League Club at that time. In addition, the Arizona Diamondbacks will receive a Supplemental Selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. The agreement also provides an opportunity for the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Association globally to the address the issues that can arise from questions concerning a drafted player’s health. Given the private nature of the underlying disagreement here, neither party will be making any further public comments about this situation.”

[witesoxfan]

Honestly, he wouldn't be a terrible sign. He's a huge project, but all prospects are. He just has extra baggage.

[Balta1701]

Absolutely brutal. 4th round picks are pretty high picks and we let ours get away. The Sox continued cheapness in the draft and player development is just downright deplorable. We have a 100M payroll and put nothing into our farm system. I'd rather cheap out a bit on the big league team and put an extra 4M into our farm system because that 4M can pay off exponentially.

Do you get a compensatory 4th rounder if you don't sign a guy?

[Big Daddy Kool]

Haven't they gone about improving the minors in a more determined way/shift of philosphy the last 3 years?

 

Because the guys they drafted and did sign signed for relatively cheaply, and they knew this would be the case before the drafted them.

 

The White Sox spend something like $3.75 mill on the entire draft. As was pointed out earlier, there are a number of smaller market teams that spend anywhere from $6-8 mill on the draft, and as a result, their minor league systems have improved vastly in the past few years.

 

It's obviously not all about spending money on the draft, and some of the contracts handed out to players is wasted...the Sox have dealt with personally with Joe Borchard, who was projected to be a huge power hitter and his game fizzled out...but the best way to improve a minor league system is to fill it with talent. It's one thing to take relatively untalented players and turn them into major league players, and the Twins have executed this as well as any organization over the past decade. It's a completely different story to actually take risks and spend some money on highly talented players, and then develop them. When that is accomplished properly, you can create teams that can sustain success while allowing yourself some room for error. As of right now, if everything doesn't go according to plan for the White Sox, they generally have to scramble to make up for mistakes that have occurred due to the inconsistent nature of humans. Jake Peavy got injured, so the Sox traded for Edwin Jackson. The offense has been a major problem all year, but due to the lack of depth within the White Sox farm system (completely ignoring the Sox not signing Jim Thome), they weren't able to add anyone else besides Edwin Jackson, and they now have to hope and pray that the offense can become productive again, or that Manny Ramirez either clears waivers or makes it to the Sox, they claim him, and they can handle the rest of the money that is on his contract.

 

[fathom]

Haven't they gone about improving the minors in a more determined way/shift of philosphy the last 3 years?

 

They've taken players with higher ceilings with their first picks, but besides that, there's been very little in terms of organizational changes. Still not drafting Boras clients or going above slot recommendation for picks.

[Chisoxfn]

I believe you get compensation through the 1st 4 rounds. But that is off the top of my head. And I will be interested in seeing how this ups Loux price. He's a talented project.

[fathom]

I believe you get compensation through the 1st 4 rounds. But that is off the top of my head. And I will be interested in seeing how this ups Loux price. He's a talented project.

 

After watching The Club, I would say there's no chance KW invests money in Loux.

[Balta1701]

After watching The Club, I would say there's no chance KW invests money in Loux.

That was the guy he shot down as an injury risk right?

[fathom]

That was the guy he shot down as an injury risk right?

 

Oh yes

[danman31]

I believe you get compensation through the 1st 4 rounds. But that is off the top of my head. And I will be interested in seeing how this ups Loux price. He's a talented project.

First 3 rounds.

[Quin]

That was the guy he shot down as an injury risk right?

 

What if he could have him on the extreme cheap though?

[witesoxfan]

What if he could have him on the extreme cheap though?

 

Probably won't be on the extreme cheap, but it will be cheaper than it was before. There will be a few teams that will be interested in signing him.

[OilCan]

Hopeful that the Sox will take a look at him.

[Balta1701]

Probably won't be on the extreme cheap, but it will be cheaper than it was before. There will be a few teams that will be interested in signing him.

The fact that he's a FA now will elevate his price somewhat unless 29 teams think he can't possibly recover.

[Big Daddy Kool]

This is pretty interesting:

http://bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=...s&Itemid=39

[NorthSideSox72]

This is pretty interesting:

http://bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=...s&Itemid=39

So for the top 5 rounds, the Sox were 19th in total spending on bonuses. More than the Twins or Tigers (or Cubs for that matter). Indians and Royals spent significantly more.

 

Cubs spent less than any other team that actually signed everyone, with 2,446,000 for 5 players.

 

[Balta1701]

So for the top 5 rounds, the Sox were 19th in total spending on bonuses. More than the Twins or Tigers (or Cubs for that matter). Indians and Royals spent significantly more.

 

Cubs spent less than any other team that actually signed everyone, with 2,446,000 for 5 players.

Don't you also have to account for the likely correlation between draft slot and amount spent, beyond just looking at the total # of picks?

[danman31]

Don't you also have to account for the likely correlation between draft slot and amount spent, beyond just looking at the total # of picks?

Sure, but that only really matters in the first round. What you should take away from this is that the Sox are not rare that they don't go over slot and aren't bottom of the barrel in spending.

 

I really hope the new CBA changes the draft. It would be much more fun to follow if they were able to limit slots.

[Balta1701]

I really hope the new CBA changes the draft. It would be much more fun to follow if they were able to limit slots.

When is it next up for renegotiation?

 

In terms of draft slotting, MLB isn't the league with the worst problem and I know that the league with the worst problem is liable to start its lockout shortly after this year's Super Bowl, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out before baseball's CBA comes up. By that time, it's possible that MLB could have the most unlimited/troublesome draft contract system.

[danman31]

When is it next up for renegotiation?

 

In terms of draft slotting, MLB isn't the league with the worst problem and I know that the league with the worst problem is liable to start its lockout shortly after this year's Super Bowl, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out before baseball's CBA comes up. By that time, it's possible that MLB could have the most unlimited/troublesome draft contract system.

That article says after 2011.