Why the MLB Draft needs change
In this year’s First Year Player Draft, which takes place on the 6th at MLB Network’s Studio 42, one lucky player will hear his name called first and fulfill the lifelong dream of being the number 1 overall pick.
Vanderbilt’s Dansby Swanson
High School Shortstop Brendan Rodgers
This year, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus number 1 pick as sites like Sports Illustrated have Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson going first, while MLB.com has Florida high school shortstop Brendan Rogers going to the Diamondbacks with the 1st pick. High School Shortstop Brendan Rodgers
There isn’t a stand out prospect in the field like a Stephen Strasburg or a Bryce Harper who everybody on the planet knows is going to become a productive Major League ballplayer. While the Diamondback are likely to take one of the two aforementioned shortstops, things get a little bit more interesting with the 2nd pick which belongs to the Houston Astros.
The Astros own that 2nd pick as well as the 5th pick and they have no reason to take one of those talented shortstops with budding superstar Carlos Correa already in their system, it seems any pick they make may be a reach.
This is where the MLB draft needs change: trading of draft picks.
Not every draft pick, since the MLB draft has so many rounds trying to keep track of all the picks would be extremely difficult. But why not limit it to the top 10 or 15 rounds, the most valuable picks in the draft.
That would give the Astros the chance to trade down from that 2 spot and add more draft picks and not have to either reach for a prospect or take one that does not fit their needs.
In addition, a team like the Minnesota Twins or Cincinnati Reds could trade up to add one of those talented shortstops since both of their systems lack a true all-star potential level shortstop.
Trading draft picks would also make the MLB draft a lot more interesting to fans of the game.
As it stands, the MLB draft doesn’t garner too much interest as most of the player we won’t see for likely 3 to 4 years.
But by letting teams trade draft picks, fans would become much more interested as their teams would have the opportunity to possibly move up in the draft. This also doesn’t affect solely the trading of draft picks.
Teams could add draft picks to trades throughout the season, giving teams even more ammunition with which to trade. A team may be down with current prospects in its system, but if it wants to upgrade its roster now, draft picks could be used as trading chips.
MLB took a step in the right direction when they decided to allow the trading of compensatory picks in 2012.
Now let’s make the full blown move to allow trading of all draft picks. It would allow the Astros to avoid the situation they currently face this year, and the increase in trades because draft picks would become bargaining chips would be tremendous.
I would love to see how many years worth of draft picks A.J Preller would trade away to continue to improve his Padres team this year.
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