I used to write about baseball for baseballdigest.com I70baseball.com. That being said I still have no clue what I am talking about but which means I am just as qualified as the rest of the MLB.
This week we saw the Houston Astros swing and miss on a years worth of baseball planning. The Astros did not sign their number 1 pick in this years draft. They also failed to sign several other players Jacob Nix a 5th rounder and Mac Marshall a 21st rounder. This is the third time ever in the history of the draft a number 1 pick hasn’t signed.
I have several issues with the current system. I will address them all but I am going to start with the massive fuck up that not singing Brady Aiken was for the worst team in sports.
The Astros are the worst team in sports and they are proud of it. The team had a plan and it was simple make shitty look good. The Astros as an organization set out to put together the worst team they could over a 3-4 year period so they could stockpile young talent and hopefully have a good team in 5 years. I am not a fan of this plan but for a second there it looked like this plan might be working.
On paper the Astros were looking like next year and the year after might just be amazing. I am not saying they won’t be because Springer is still a great prospect not to mention the other dozen or so guys they have waiting to prove something but the 1’s are struggling. It is less than three years out from their first number 1 pick and we already know one of them will never have a successful career for the Astros (Aiken). We have seen Appeal struggle far more than anyone thought he would two years ago. Lastly we are still waiting to see what will come from Carlos Correa. Springer the 11th overall pick is the only one showing flashes of greatness in the bigs.
This plan of be horrible for a year or two is more of a basketball idea. I honestly don’t think it is a great plan for baseball. Baseball has too many other options for a team to rebuild. The draft in my view is the biggest gamble of all. This isn’t the NBA or NFL which is really saying something. The NFL and NBA is 50/50 at best baseball is what 20/80 that a kid pans outs. Mike Trout went what pick? So, the Astros are gambling 5 years on rolling the baseball equal of snake eyes 5 times in a row with their life savings laying on the table.
Back to how the Astros threw away more than a year for nothing. The plan was to be horrible get the first pick. Well check, check, and check three years in a row so way to stick to a plan Houston. The next part was get the most talent they could for the best price. Check and check. So, here we are at the 2014 MLB Draft the Astros getting ready to ad another check to their box in this great rebuild plan. If I am not mistaken the draft takes a year to roll around and teams spend a ton of money watching guys. I also believe that the Astros weren’t shocked when they were called to make the 1st pick.
So, let me ask you this how in the hell do you draft a kid you claim has an elbow issue? I understand things happen but if you are going to pick a kid at 1 shouldn’t you make sure you don’t think he has a problem before you say his name. Secondly he is a high school he isn’t getting to the bigs in a few years anyway why throw away the pick you threw the season to get. Why is $2 million a big deal to you? All of these questions need answered but they won’t. The biggest question of all is how does baseball think that by rewarding the Astros the number 2 pick next year that things will get better.
The Astro’s have made themselves look like idiots. They threw away a season to draft a kid they don’t sign. Now they have to wait another year to see who they get because of a horrible season. I know if I am a fan I am running to give them my hard earned money. The Astro’s can not shoulder the whole blame here. MLB baseball is the biggest idiot in this mess. There are too many drafts, too many rules, and not enough common sense.
Let’s start with the whole draft system. The MLB is the only one that allows a kid to enter get drafted and then say nah. The MLB lets a team draft you and then say well you were a 2nd rounder so we are offering you 2nd round money. Go ask the Raiders, Jags, and Clippers what happens when you reach in the draft. The answer you pay dearly for it and get laughed at on Sportscenter. Why do we have like 600 rounds?
The first changes that need to be made to the MLB Draft are as follows.
The picks need a hard slot with a min and max that are really not that far apart. Teams need to draft based on talent not on wallet. Kids are telling bad small market teams I want over the max or I won’t go. Well kid you don’t get that power. You get picked packed your shit and go to Ohio.
The teams need to hold more power during the draft. Agents need to be phased out more or less during the draft. If you go 1 overall you should get 6.5-7 mil. The team and player can haggle over the 500k that is on the table. If a team drafts you they are on the hook for the amount no matter what happens after, there will be no more of this on second thought there is a blurry line on your mri. MLB clubs if draft Greg Oden deal with it life isn’t fair pay up. Now on the other hand if a kid says no I don’t want to sign he has two options go back to school if he is high schooler but he can not come back to the draft until he graduates college. That’s right bitches Graduates! None of this I am going to juco for basket weaving and sluts for a semester. The second option is that the player can be traded but the team trading for the player has to give up next years equal round pick and the cash value of current pick as a minimum to start any trade. The team drafting the player can ask for more if they believe they can get. If no trade occurs your rights are the picking teams for two years. Two years gives the team more leverage over other clubs and the player. Under this system they would not be allowed to pitch in indy leagues. They could choose not to sign but they would need team approval for any athletic activity.
This gives more power to the small market clubs because it decreases the leverage that a player has who doesn’t want to go to a city. It also allows the small market clubs to draft on talent and not on their wallet. Lastly large market teams would be allowed to overpay for these picks just like in all other sports. Are telling me the Yankees wouldn’t throw in 10 years of picks and 50 mil on the next Strasburg. The rich need to be allowed to make bad choices. Bad choices are what fuel a balanced league. Let the Jerry Jones like owners do what they do.
There needs to be half as many rounds or maybe even less. I know all of you baseball purest say we have to fill out the minor leagues. Ok, let me stop you there. There are too many minor league teams. The NFL, NBA, and NHL all manage to work college kids with little experience into their sport. Why does it take 5 years to bring a college player to the bigs? It shouldn’t that is the answer. Fewer players drafted means fewer high school and underclassmen will be gambled on forcing them to go to or stay in college thus allowing for fewer minor league teams. This will also reduce the number of young kids that throw away their education due to the advice of greedy agents.
The draft needs to matter and to matter players/picks have to change hands. There is no next year turn around with the MLB Draft. Every other draft has that chance. Pick for players needs to happen. Could you imagine the July trade deadline with draft picks in play. You could have an NBA like rule of you can’t trade a 1st if you don’t have one the next year. I am fine with a rule that limits the trades but trades are a must.
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