Quote:
Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey
"Screw the draft pick."
I'm sure RedsZone would have a similar reaction if we just spent $14 million a year for a closer AND had to give up a first-round pick.
Not at all.
Even late first-round picks are valuable these days, IMO. The Reds are in a good position right now largely because of quality drafting. Drew Stubbs is one of the few first-round busts we've had since 2004. Homer Bailey was a good pick. Jay Bruce was a good pick. We were able to flip a couple of first-rounders (Alonso, Grandal) and a supplemental first-rounder (Boxberger) for Mat Latos. Todd Frazier was a supplemental first-round pick, Joey Votto was a second-rounder, Billy Hamilton was a second-rounder, on and on.
The draft is extremely important, especially if you're a team without bottomless pockets. The Nats do have more money than the Reds, but they're not the Yankees and that's a hell of a lot of money to pay for a closer when you also have to give up a first-round draft pick.
There is no doubt RedsZone would be flipping the freak out (and rightfully so) if the Reds paid $14 million/year for a closer and surrendered a first-round pick in the process.
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I agree that draft picks are incredibly valuable in the long-term, but I don't care about the long-term prospects of the Washington Nationals. All I care about is how this impacts the Reds chances of winning the NL pennant in 2013. Losing a 2013 draft pick won't have any adverse effect on the Nationals until 2016 or later.