Draft Update

Thanks for all the info Jeremy.

They really did a nice job getting the High School picks to sign.  I really like the upside for this draft class.  Whether anyone reaches there highest potential remains to be seen but I like that these young guys will have some time to develop in the minor leagues.

What determines if a player signs for slot, above or below? Draft position obviously has some impact on salary but not necessarily. Blows my mind though that Lopez would only get $30k but anyone after round 10 could get $100k and benningoff got $600k. I mean how does Lopez not even get $100k?

What determines if a player signs for slot, above or below? Draft position obviously has some impact on salary but not necessarily. Blows my mind though that Lopez would only get $30k but anyone after round 10 could get $100k and benningoff got $600k. I mean how does Lopez not even get $100k?

How anybody signs for less than $100k blows my mind.

Seniors typically don't get much. In fact, the seniors the Twins sign typically get only $1,000. The Twins certainly had a pre-draft agreement with Lopez that he'd agree to sign for $30K. Some borderline draftable players will agree to be taken in the Top 10 rounds knowing they will get $5k or so. Little leverage = little bonus.

 

High school guys say have a lot more leverage. 

I definitely would not sign for $1K. There is no penalty for the team to go to $100k, so I'd hold out for more and if the team doesn't budge I'd take my college degree and get a job that pays much more.  

The team only have to make an offer. If the player chooses not to sign, then oh well. They can start a career elsewhere, but if they want to play pro ball, they take it. 

I'd be more sympathetic to that argument if they paid players at least the minimum wage once they get there. But the combination, just shows without representation in the negotiations players get treated horribly. It  make minimum wage laws seem absolutely necessary.

If I was about to graduate from college, and someone said, "oh, here's 30K and a job playing baseball," I wouldn't feel ill-used.

Joe Mauer, pushing the peas around on his plate tonight: "You know, honey, I just hate the thought of these poor minor leaguers working for peanuts. Say, any mail from the player's union or my agent?"

Amazing how cheap a team (not just the Twins) can be. College Seniors may as well be free agents and go get the job on a team of their choice.

So wold a lot of people, but it's more like here's 30K and for the next 5 years we will only pay you $4/hr and you have to pay most of your own expenses.

So hope you don't plan on having kids anytime soon.

If you grew you grew up playing baseball your entire life (like most of the college seniors), and someone actually wants to give you money, no matter how little, to go play ball instead of enter the real world and work at a desk job, I wouldn't blame any of them for taking the $1K....the real world will still be there when they are cut in a couple years.  

So wold a lot of people, but it's more like here's 30K and for the next 5 years we will only pay you $4/hr and you have to pay most of your own expenses.

So hope you don't plan on having kids anytime soon.

C'mon people, get over it! It is a choice that has to be made. You pay your dues. Actually, you work a normal workday, but your shift is all over the place (sadly) and you go on the road - so you can't have a second job if you want. You can have roommates or live in people's home. You get to go to the ballpark pretty much whenever to workout, play, rest, just hang out instead of at home. If you do good, you get paid more, period. You have one to two years to see if you can hack it or not. No different than starting on the lower rungs at a company, being an intern (really paying your way), working as an apprentice, whatever. Yes, you may have to find a winter job. (Remember the days when many a major league baseball player actually had to work during the offseason, and many had to have a job after they retired). Pump money into food, or housing (similar to the dorm the Twins have at Ft. Myers) if you must. But you are there to play ball 24/7 as you strive towards a dream. If you get a bonus, make it last, make it work. I would've killed for any small amount of thousands when I graduated from high school or college to hold me over to reporting day for a new job in something I like!

With the slotting system the high round hs students still have little leverage. The decision comes down to betting how much you could rise in college versus how much you could drop.

when you're a senior you dont have too many options...

They do, it's called a college degree. 

They do, it's called a college degree. 

That's part of the problem. You do the 'right' thing and go to college to get an education and play ball, you don't leave early, maybe your on scholarship, maybe not a full ride. But any debt you walk out you have no way of paying off once you sign that 1 grand deal. Then you don't leave early and stay all 4 years and that "hurts you". Then you need to get a credit card just to survive. More debt. Hoping you don't get hurt with an injury that affects you for the rest of your life.  But it your choice after all they can always get someone from Latin America to do it for just as cheap (just hope those guys don't get an "on the job" Injury, they can get fired and lose their Visa).  

If this was the meat packing industry or any other industry we'd be disgusted with how people are treated for doing the right thing. But it's baseball, the game we love. We look the other way. But saying people have a choice to give them less then they need to live or they can walk away for basicly life, show's an abuse in a system, and that feels agenst the values we say we value. 

And on a diffrent note, Thanks to Jermey fo all he does. the time and info he puts in helps make this site. And congrats to everyone who got drafted. 

Is Balazovic just waiting until the Twins have signed everyone they are going to sign and then he is going to try and get all of their remaining money?

If so, that is a smart strategy - assuming that he wouldn't mind going to college if the Twins can't hit his number.  

That's part of the problem. You do the 'right' thing and go to college to get an education and play ball, you don't leave early, maybe your on scholarship, maybe not a full ride. But any debt you walk out you have no way of paying off once you sign that 1 grand deal. Then you don't leave early and stay all 4 years and that "hurts you". Then you need to get a credit card just to survive. More debt. Hoping you don't get hurt with an injury that affects you for the rest of your life.  But it your choice after all they can always get someone from Latin America to do it for just as cheap (just hope those guys don't get an "on the job" Injury, they can get fired and lose their Visa).  

 

If this was the meat packing industry or any other industry we'd be disgusted with how people are treated for doing the right thing. But it's baseball, the game we love. We look the other way. But saying people have a choice to give them less then they need to live or they can walk away for basicly life, show's an abuse in a system, and that feels agenst the values we say we value. 

 

And on a diffrent note, Thanks to Jermey fo all he does. the time and info he puts in helps make this site. And congrats to everyone who got drafted. 

Baseball is like the meatpacking industry. Nobody is outraged at the hiring practices of the meatpacking industry. Highest injury rate, lots of illegals busted. Not many care.

I really think we got a sleeper with the HS C - Kidany Salva.  Glad we got him on board, didn't think we would.

I take it we are not signing Balazovic?  Isn't the signing period almost over?