Trading Draft Picks?

[legmason]

Is there a reason that MLB doesn't want to allow trades of draft picks? To me this would improve the competitive balance in baseball and help more of the "have not" teams to improve more quickly through the draft. In addition, it would sure make the MLB draft much more exciting.

Has there been an serious discussion about this among MLB execs and the commish?

[Zach]

Im not sure how much it would improve the balance between teams and wouldn't really help to bring viewers to the mlb draft at all. What makes the nfl and nba drafts exciting is the immediate impact that those players will have on those clubs. Anthony Davis, for example, has the ability to bring the Hornets back into contention. But even lower picks within these drafts can make immediate impacts. Pernell Mcphee was a 5th round pick for the Ravens, but made an immediate impact on the club. The MLB draft is much more of a crapshoot and teams often will not see the benefits of these players until years down the road. Even with Bundy who was at the top of the first round the earliest prediction for him even making the big league team (much less making an impact) is late into 2014. For every success story in baseball there are plenty of Billy Rowells to counter with. Bringing in more draft picks doesn't always equate to more victories and doesn't address payrolls differentials at the major league level.

[ofahn]

The new CBA allows for a specialized and LIMITED class of draft picks allocated for competitive balance.

the competitive balance lottery which will go into effect in 2013. It appears to be meant to help offset the inability to use the compensation system in the way the Rays did a year ago. The bottom teams in market size and revenue will be put into a lottery to receive one of six picks following the first and second round. Those picks can be traded at certain times of the year.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... d=26030810

[legmason]

Im not sure how much it would improve the balance between teams and wouldn't really help to bring viewers to the mlb draft at all. What makes the nfl and nba drafts exciting is the immediate impact that those players will have on those clubs. Anthony Davis, for example, has the ability to bring the Hornets back into contention. But even lower picks within these drafts can make immediate impacts. Pernell Mcphee was a 5th round pick for the Ravens, but made an immediate impact on the club. The MLB draft is much more of a crapshoot and teams often will not see the benefits of these players until years down the road. Even with Bundy who was at the top of the first round the earliest prediction for him even making the big league team (much less making an impact) is late into 2014. For every success story in baseball there are plenty of Billy Rowells to counter with. Bringing in more draft picks doesn't always equate to more victories and doesn't address payrolls differentials at the major league level.

I defintely hear what you're saying in regards to immediate impact but I gotta believe that when players like Strasburg come up who ascend quickly there would be a lot of interest from other teams. Suppose the nationals were able to trade that pick for major league ready talent. They could improve their team in the moment rather than having to wait for Strasburg to be ready. It's all hypothetical but it would be interesting to me at least.

[A_K]

The league fears that the small market teams will dump the picks to big-market teams so they don't need to pay the large signing bonuses, thereby exacerbating any competitive balance issues.

[Zach]

Look at the model set up by other leagues. Trading for a top pick (which would be necessary to secure a player like Strassburg) takes so much it would not be advantageous for a baseball team. Baseball is a sport where one player can not determine the success of a whole team. Look at the Angels this year. Trading away the necessary picks to get a player like Strassburg would prevent a team from gaining the other necessary players to fill out their farm system and thus the risk would not be worth the reward. Plus first overall picks don't always pan out as expected.