Looking Ahead: 2014 Draft

[PepperJack]

Matt Garrioch's Top 300 draft prospects.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/...prospects-2014

We are just under four months from draft day. Here is how my top 300 prospect list looks right now. This is still a fluid list and there will plenty of change between now and June.

Current 15-30, could be an early gauge of players in the Reds range. The list, as noted, will be very fluid this early.


15 Brady Aiken LHP
16 Derek Fisher OF
17 Jacob Gatewood 3B
18 Nick Burdi RHP JR
19 Michael Chavis 3B
20 Kodi Medeiros LHP
21 Greg Deichmann 2B
22 Chase Vallot C
23 Michael Cederoth RHP
24 Michael Gettys CF
25 Scott Blewett RHP
26 Monte' Harrison OF
27 Luke Weaver RHP
28 Kyle Schwarber C/1B
29 Aaron Nola RHP RHP
30 Sean Newcomb LHP

[Jamz]

Isn't Gatewood supposed to have Stanton like power? Wouldn't mind taking a chance there if Gordon/Turner aren't there at the Reds' pick.

[Benihana]

Isn't Gatewood supposed to have Stanton like power? Wouldn't mind taking a chance there if Gordon/Turner aren't there at the Reds' pick.

Not that projections mean anything now, as a lot can and will change, but Gatewood is currently considered a top 10 pick by just about everyone I've seen/read/heard from.

Except Garrioch of course.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Orioles Nearing Deal With Ubaldo Jimenez

By Jeff Todd [February 17 at 5:20pm CST]

The Orioles are working to finalize a deal with free agent starter Ubaldo Jimenez, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko. The contract under consideration is believed to be for four years and $48MM.

Jimenez, 30, is one of the premier remaining available free agents. He checked in at 11th on the top fifty free agent list of MLBTR's Tim Dierkes.

If Jimenez does indeed sign with the Orioles, his new employer would be required to sacrifice the 17th overall choice in the 2014 amateur draft. Meanwhile, the Indians -- Jimenez's former club -- would add a sandwich-round compensation pick.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Orioles To Sign Ubaldo Jimenez

By Jeff Todd [February 17 at 5:51pm CST]

The Orioles have agreed to terms with free agent starter Ubaldo Jimenez, pending physical, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It was recently reported by MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko that the sides were nearing agreement, with the terms believed to be in the range of four-years and $48MM. Promising a fourth year was necessary, tweets Kubatko, due to interest from multiple other AL East clubs, including the Blue Jays.

Because Jimenez turned down a qualifying offer, the Orioles will part with their first-round choice (17th overall) in the upcoming 2014 amateur draft in order to add him to their roster. Meanwhile, the Indians officially pick up a compensation pick in the sandwich round as compensation.

[Gallen5862]

Originally Posted by Gallen5862
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft...d-draft-order/


So while we wait for further free agent signings, the draft order currently looks like this, assuming Granderson signs with the Mets as is being reported widely:

First Round

1. Houston Astros

2. Miami Marlins

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Chicago Cubs

5. Minnesota Twins

6. Seattle Mariners

7. Philadelphia Phillies

8. Colorado Rockies

9. Toronto Blue Jays

10. New York Mets

11. Toronto Blue Jays (compensation for failure to sign Phil Bickford in ‘13 draft)

12. Milwaukee Brewers

13. San Diego Padres

14. San Francisco Giants

15. Los Angeles Angels

16. Arizona Diamondbacks

x Baltimore Orioles (forfeited for signing Ubaldo Jimenez)

X. New York Yankees (forfeited for signing Brian McCann)

17. Kansas City Royals

18. Washington Nationals

19. Cincinnati Reds

x. Texas Rangers (forfeited for signing Shin-Soo Choo)

20. Tampa Bay Rays

21. Cleveland Indians

22. Los Angeles Dodgers

23. Detroit Tigers

24. Pittsburgh Pirates

25. Oakland Athletics

26. Atlanta Braves

27. Boston Red Sox

28. St. Louis Cardinals

Compensatory Round

*Y. Seattle Mariners (Kendry Morales compensation)

Z. New York Yankees (for losing Robinson Cano)

ZZ. New York Yankees (for losing Curtis Granderson)

*29. Kansas City Royals (Ervin Santana)

*30. Cincinnati Reds (awarded for losing Shin-Soo Choo)

*31. Texas Rangers (Nelson Cruz)

*32. Miami Marlins (compensation for failure to sign Matt Krook in ‘13 draft)

*33. Cleveland Indians (awarded for losing Ubaldo Jimenez)

34. Atlanta Braves (awarded for losing Brian McCann)

35. Boston Red Sox (awarded for losing Jacoby Ellsbury)

*36. Boston Red Sox (Stephen Drew)

*37. St. Louis Cardinals (awarded for losing Carlos Beltran)

X Lost for signing free agent Brian McCann

Y Lost for signing free agent Robinson Cano, will revert to second-round pick if Morales resigns with Mariners

Z Lost for signing free agent Jacoby Ellsbury

ZZ Lost for signing free agent Carlos Beltran

*All picks marked with an asterisk are contingent on the free agent signing with another team.

The Mets will lose their second-round pick for signing Granderson, as their first-round pick is protected as a top 10 selection.

There are many problems with the new collective bargaining agreement, but the free-agent compensation is one way that the new system is significantly better than the old rules. Under the old rules, teams lost one pick for signing a free agent while gaining two. Now it’s a one-for-one transaction. Sign a compensatory free agent? Lose a pick. Lose a compensatory free agent? Gain a pick.


Updated with Baltimore Orioles losing draft pick #17 for signing Ubaldo Jimenez. Cleveland Indians (awarded #33 for losing Ubaldo Jimenez)

[Gallen5862]

The Cincinnati Reds now have pick #19 and comp pick #30 in the draft.

[corkedbat]

Wish the Nats and Royals ownerships would suddenly go insane and sign Cruz and Morales

[M2]

There are many problems with the new collective bargaining agreement, but the free-agent compensation is one way that the new system is significantly better than the old rules. Under the old rules, teams lost one pick for signing a free agent while gaining two. Now it’s a one-for-one transaction. Sign a compensatory free agent? Lose a pick. Lose a compensatory free agent? Gain a pick.

It's still messed up. Teams shouldn't lose a pick for trying to improve themselves. Basically it culls the market down to big market teams that can buy their way around the loss of the draft picks, like the Yankees. Mid-market teams have to weigh whether a high-priced addition today is worth the loss of a potential low-priced performer in a few years.

A far simpler system would be that teams losing significant players should get sandwich picks. No one loses any picks. No punishment for helping your team. They could go back to type A, B, C free agents with teams getting picks for the first two categories. The Reds would have picked up picks for Choo and Arroyo.

[mdccclxix]

It's still messed up. Teams shouldn't lose a pick for trying to improve themselves. Basically it culls the market down to big market teams that can buy their way around the loss of the draft picks, like the Yankees. Mid-market teams have to weigh whether a high-priced addition today is worth the loss of a potential low-priced performer in a few years.

A far simpler system would be that teams losing significant players should get sandwich picks. No one loses any picks. No punishment for helping your team. They could go back to type A, B, C free agents with teams getting picks for the first two categories. The Reds would have picked up picks for Choo and Arroyo.

It did bring down the price on Jiminez far enough for Baltimore to consider it, so there is that benefit to lower payroll teams.

[Rojo]

Why not forfeit picks when you go over the cap?

[dougdirt]

Why not forfeit picks when you go over the cap?

Because that punishes the teams MLB wants to be winning.

[bellhead]

Why not forfeit picks when you go over the cap?

Would be a step in the right direction.

[corkedbat]

I would love to see Turner or Gordon sitting there when we draft at 19 or Tiquan Forbes there at 30. I don't believe in drafting for need (especially in baseball), by any of the three might be considered the Best Player Available at those spots and the Reds middle infield definitely needs beefing up.

Greenwood and Walker at 19 & 30 would be a dream draft, IMO, then go pitching heavy the rest of the top 10 (although I would like to see solid catcher and corner OF prospects included too).

[REDREAD]

It's still messed up. Teams shouldn't lose a pick for trying to improve themselves. Basically it culls the market down to big market teams that can buy their way around the loss of the draft picks, like the Yankees. Mid-market teams have to weigh whether a high-priced addition today is worth the loss of a potential low-priced performer in a few years.

A far simpler system would be that teams losing significant players should get sandwich picks. No one loses any picks. No punishment for helping your team. They could go back to type A, B, C free agents with teams getting picks for the first two categories. The Reds would have picked up picks for Choo and Arroyo.

Just to play devil's advocate though.
The current compensation system also helps teams retain talent.
I'm sure many players have seen the relatively tepid interest that Ubaldo Jimmeniz, Stephen Drew, and Lohse got (partially because draft compensation was tied in).

In fact, I would go as far as saying that it helped us resign Homer.
No way to prove it, but it didn't hurt, because Homer would've surely had a draft pick compensation tied to him.

Dampening the FA market place also helps keep FA salaries lower, which trickles down to keeping arbitration awards lower.

The small and mid market teams were never big players in the FA market under the old A, B, C free agent compensation system.

Plus, I love the fact that a team has to risk offering arbitration to a guy in order to get the draft pick. That helps the player. For example, the Reds in hindsight clearly had no interest at bringing back Arroyo at market value. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but since Arroyo had no draft pick compensation tied to him, his yearly salary is approximately what U Jimmeniz was given. So it works in favor of some of the lower profile FAs.