With limited spending pools imposed by the new CBA, one of the clear themes that emerged from the draft was teams drafting college seniors, particularly in rounds 6-10, so that they could:
a. Save money for later rounds
b. Not lose the money allocated to those picks (if a team doesn’t sign a player selected in the first 10 rounds, they lose that money to spend)
We just spoke with a player agent who were are very close with. He had 4 players selected in the just-completed MLB draft. According to him, college seniors are being offered to eat corn the long way.
For example, a particular National League team selected a college pitcher in the 10th round. According to the new CBA, that round is a $125,000 slot. The National League team gave this pitcher $5,000. Thus, that team saved $120,000 that they can now allocate elsewhere, and because they technically signed their 10th round pick, they don’t lose the money. This agent has seen a couple senior signings in the $25,000 range, but that’s the high-end of offers!
In other words, college seniors are being used as draft fodder in an attempt to game the system. It’s so blatant that this agent told us “MLB teams should be embarrassed about how they treat seniors.”
He elaborated too, saying that while college seniors never had leverage, the offers were “fairer” in previous years. For example, in the last two drafts, it wasn’t unusual to see college seniors with $40,000-$45,000 bonuses. With the new CBA rules, teams are looking to save money at every opportunity, and the offers to college seniors are much lower this year.
While anyone could make a valid argument that this is a smart strategy employed by teams, it certainly isn’t the most ethical move.
Oh well, we wanted to bring you this information direct from a NoMaasian source. And speaking of NoMaasian sources, we had a conversation today with Yankees Senior VP Mark Newman about the draft. We’ll be posting that interview on Sunday night.
23 Comments
Sensitive RAB Guy June 8, 2012 12:34
Ben Kaabak: My only source is Russ Salzberg. Do you know he’s a client of my daddy’s?
Russ Salzberg June 8, 2012 13:05
Bye bye, so long, farewell
Mike Tyson June 8, 2012 15:37
I’m talkin’ to you the way I wanna talk to you. If you have a problem, turn off your station.
Russ Salzberg June 8, 2012 19:11
REAL CLASSY
Buck S. June 8, 2012 12:39
Wow, just disrespectful to Flanny
Fucker June 8, 2012 12:51
Then don’t sign. Go play independent for a year. Then the team loses the 125k and they stop doing that.
Smart Guy June 8, 2012 13:01
can you blame teams though? is it fair that Arod makes more than a bunch of nurses and teachers put together?
can you blame teams for being put in this position?
is it fair that to get good seats at yankee stadium it cost a months rent?
arod June 8, 2012 14:09
Centaur needs to be paid to woefully underperform!
Scott Walker June 8, 2012 18:23
Why should a job creator like ARod suffer so nurses and teachers can get paid? America is sick of this kind of class warfare. Teachers need to be fired. America has spoken.
Alex Rodriguez June 8, 2012 14:56
I am the stone cold opposite of Paul O’Neill.
Junk kicker June 8, 2012 17:48
Sign me for $5k and cut me before I show up for camp. Booyah!
Mo money, mo money, mo money!
Pineda's shoulder June 8, 2012 17:51
Mike Aviles signed for $1,000 in 2003.
Nothing new under the sun.
Waaaaaaaaaa June 8, 2012 17:54
Don’t see a problem. You’re a college senior, so you should have your degree to fall back on correct? It’s either sign or never play baseball again and go work. We bitch about salaries and ticket prices constantly, yet college seniors should be given 50,000 to sign a contract that they have to sign or else join the work force? This is professional baseball. Not a charity organization.
Free Market June 8, 2012 18:27
How about we get rid of the draft, and seniors can just sign for whatever the market will bear?
Bolshevik Bud June 9, 2012 00:57
Nyet.
Big Spike June 9, 2012 06:37
Yeah that would be capitalism, Bud said it best.
And, WAaaaaaaaaaah, remember it may be professional baseball but they do get that pesky anti-trust exemption,
with all the money there making how come they need this help.
Sounds to me, like somebodies only playing for one side here, instead of looking at both.
That just makes you a corporate shill.
Hankenstein June 9, 2012 06:30
You suckers just don’t get it.
Us people at the top are the parasite, and you little people at the bottom are the host.
It’s up to you to pay and pay and pay. Until we bleed you white, then we just move on to a new host.
Bud Selig June 10, 2012 11:11
Who is this “we” you toad? Now pay up, the 2013 yachts are out this month and my friends all need new ones with your money.
Call me Crazy June 9, 2012 04:38
Since the limit is on bonuses, why don’t they offer these kids a crazy first year minor league salary instead?
This June 9, 2012 14:45
I think the first year max for a minor league contract is now $1,100 per month. I think that is why you see the top prospects get major league deals – to circumvent the minor league rules and so that the team doesn’t have to pay the entire amount as a bonus.
Scott Boras June 9, 2012 04:58
this agent should be more embarrassed that he has his clients sign for that low
then again his clients must suck moose cock otherwise I would represent them.
Joeybagonuts June 10, 2012 00:44
Maya Rudolph has big ones. And for that, I make no apologies. I wanna slap em around, you get me?
jerk off June 10, 2012 09:57
I jerk it to Maya Rudolph.