Proposal: Dynamic Draft Order

[LeDoux]

One of the things I never liked in sports is when the teams with the lowest winning percentage are automatically given the top draft slots. In essence, this rewards a team for “sandbagging” for the last month or so of the season. Thus I propose the following:

A. On the first day that a team is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they begin to play for draft order.

B. A win gives a team 1 point. A loss gives a team -0.5 points.

C. Teams are "initialized" with the point total accumulated during the 5 games prior to being eliminated.

D. All playoff teams are automatically given the last ten slots.

Advantages of this system:

1. Teams would be motivated to win for the duration of the season.

2. Teams would need a minimum level of competitiveness to avoid losing ground (looking at you Astros).

3. “Fire sales” would likely be less common.

4. Fans would have another goal to track if there team is out of the hunt.

What is the consensus on this plan?

[TOBTTReds]

Sorry, gonna play devils advocate here:

I don't think teams really tank for draft picks at all...not in baseball. Maybe in Basketball and Football it gets talked about, but not baseball.

Fire sales don't occur to get top picks either. They are done to save money and recoup prospects for their unneeded talent (because they aren't winning) that is likely a free agent after the year.

Fans of teams who are awful, especially in baseball really aren't tracking for the number 1 pick in this sport because most have lost interest in what is a very long season, especially if you have a crappy team.

Next, no way baseball would change this system that seems to work out fine. Also, I don't think teams lack motivation to win at the end. Sometimes the worst teams do OK in September because it's a bunch of rookies with no scouting report and playing for a spot on next year's team.

[mdccclxix]

I really like this idea for basketball and do away with that putrid, awful, incomprehensible lottery. I hate the lottery so much.

But for baseball, I agree with This One Belongs To The Reds, it might not be as necessary and could possibly lead to some inequity.

[mdccclxix]

I should say, some version of this would be good for basketball. The poor Bobcats would have picked 30th a few years ago if they started penalizing losses after elimination!

[LeDoux]

Sorry, gonna play devils advocate here:

I don't think teams really tank for draft picks at all...not in baseball. Maybe in Basketball and Football it gets talked about, but not baseball..

I actually agree with about everything you wrote here. But I still think this system carries more positive than negative. If I can respond to your objections...

First, like you, I don't think teams intentionally lose games. I also think most players have motivation to do well, especially during their own PAs. But there is no apparent team incentive to win once eliminated from the chance at the postseason. I think these teams switch gears: keep players on the DL longer, trade veterans, fill several spots in the lineup with AAA players. The may not be throwing games, but they become less competitive.


Fire sales don't occur to get top picks either. They are done to save money and recoup prospects for their unneeded talent (because they aren't winning) that is likely a free agent after the year.

That's true, but the cost of trading this talent will likely be a drop in next year's draft. Deadline trades will not cease, but they should decease. As far as unneeded talent- that is what I am trying to eliminate. Teams should always be competitive.


Fans of teams who are awful, especially in baseball really aren't tracking for the number 1 pick in this sport because most have lost interest in what is a very long season, especially if you have a crappy team.

This is what I am trying to correct. Obviously, I don't think fans will watch the draft pick race as closely as a the playoff hunt. Not all fans will keep paying attention. But I think adding another race will increase interest for some fans.


Next, no way baseball would change this system that seems to work out fine.

Yes- unless there is significant money to be made as a result of the change. But that does not mean this system is not better.


Also, I don't think teams lack motivation to win at the end.

Here is where I might disagree. As I said above, players are motivated perform well; but it will be difficult to convince me that the motivation for a team in the hunt is similar to or less than a team 25 games out.


Sometimes the worst teams do OK in September because it's a bunch of rookies with no scouting report and playing for a spot on next year's team

Sure, but giving those teams something to play for would interfere with this.


And so I still think this draft system would be superior. More than anything it would give fans some race to watch when their team is eliminated from the playoff hunt.

[Unassisted]

What fans might view as "tanking" is likely to be viewed by the "tanker" as using prospects in meaningless games to see whether they have potential.

[Brutus]

I have always thought the best way to eliminate tanking would simply take the standings as of July 1 or July 31 when teams are still at full strength as the draft order for non-playoff teams. This at least prohibits teams from benefiting by fire sales at midseason.