The 2016 installment of MLB’s annual June draft gets underway on Thursday. The Phillies, for finishing with the game’s worst overall record in 2015, own the top pick. There’s no shoo-in first-overall selection among the draft-eligible amateurs this year, but most expect Philadelphia will pick University of Florida left-hander A.J. Puk.
The MLB Draft is undeniably important: Because baseball players make something close to the league minimum during their first seasons in the Majors, developing a good crop of young talent stands as the easiest route to creating a sustainable winner. Good young players are also good cheap players, the type that allow their teams the financial flexibility to spend more on free-agent upgrades.
But the case has been made, here and elsewhere, the Major League Baseball would be best-served eliminating the draft entirely and moving instead toward a system wherein all amateur spending is governed by one hard bonus cap — essentially putting domestic prospects in the same pool as international amateurs and closing the loopholes that have in the past allowed big-market teams to take on penalties for blowing past their international allotments on behalf of top-flight players.
It would obviously represent a fairly complicated change, and a paradigm shift in the way clubs acquire domestic talent. And what follows here is entirely speculation — there will always be unintended consequences, and presumably some teams would find some slick way of exploiting any system the league ever puts in place. But what follows here are five ways Major League Baseball might benefit from ditching the draft:
1. Increasing parity
Yoan Moncada (PHOTO: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Considering Major League Baseball lacks a salary cap, its small-market teams fare pretty well against their big-city competitors: The Kansas City Royals, everyone remembers, made the World Series in 2014 and won it in 2015. But there’s no doubt baseball’s big-budget clubs are more apt to contend every single year. And so it seems alarming that clubs like the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, especially, have taken to using their financial might to bolster their farm systems.
In 2015, the Red Sox spent $63 million — half of it on cap penalties — to sign Cuban amateur Yoan Moncada. Moncada was ranked the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball entering 2016 and has done nothing to tarnish that reputation in Class A ball this season. Also in 2015, the Sox drafted outfielder Andrew Benintendi with the seventh overall choice of the June draft, and Benintendi entered 2016 as the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball.
The success of those prospects, to date, is partly a function of good luck and partly a testament to Boston’s ability to identify talent. But there’s no doubt money landed Moncada, and switching to a system where international and domestic prospects were governed by the same spending cap would give smaller-market clubs firmer footing to collect young talent without getting muscled out by their richer competitors.
2. Giving young players a choice
U.S. amateurs don’t have a heck of a lot of agency when it comes to their first contracts. Because the best high-school players typically have college scholarships lined up if their pro deals don’t work out and college juniors can opt to return for another season, it’s not exactly a take-it-or-leave-it scenario in most cases. And, certainly, giving up control over where you live and work has long been a trade-off prospects gladly make for the chance to get paid money to play baseball.
But this site aims to celebrate great baseball players and as such believes they should be courted rather than coerced. And giving young players some choice in where they wind up could have some extremely beneficial byproducts, like…
3. Fostering more youth interest
OK, so now teams no longer just get whatever players they draft, regardless of where those players wish they were playing. Now teams need to convince the young players theirs is the organization worth joining. Presumably that’d lead teams to do a whole lot more to foster loyalty, especially in their own communities. If you’re a young star from, say, the Cincinnati area, and you’ve got similar offers on the table from the Reds, Cubs and Rangers, but the Reds sponsored all your little league teams and had you out to the park a bunch and hooked up your high school with gently used equipment, which club do you pick?
4. Improving conditions for minor leaguers
The Trenton Thunder (PHOTO: AP Photo/Mel Evans)
This site and others have covered the plight of minor league ballplayers, most of whom will never enjoy Major League careers, who often work for less than minimum wage and try to develop athletic physiques on the fast food they can afford with their lousy per diems. If all of a sudden, young players get to pick what team they can join, big-league clubs would almost certainly commit more resources to the players in their farm systems to aid the recruitment process.
5. Diminishing the value of tanking
Clubs like the Astros, Phillies and Braves have caught criticism in recent seasons for putting out substandard big-league products while building for the future. But though it might frustrate some fans, tanking stands as many teams’ clearest path toward building a contender, since it guarantees a high pick in the draft. Doing away with the draft obviously diminishes the value of tanking: Even if the teams with the worst records get the biggest spending caps, a 50-win club might risk missing out on signing the best young player in the game because he wants no part of a 50-win club.
June 7: Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jake Lamb (22) receives a bubble gum bath from teammates David Peralta and Nick Ahmed after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 at Chase Field.
June 6: San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Yangervis Solarte (right) reacts as he is congratulated by left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. (2) after hitting a three run home run during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park.
June 5: Padres starter Luis Perdomo pitches during the first inning against the Rockies at Petco Park.
June 4: A moment of silence is held in memory of Muhammed Ali before the Orioles and Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
June 3: Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera tries to avoid a pitch against the White Sox.
June 2: Orioles' Manny Machado flips his bat after hitting a three run home run in the seventh inning against the Red Sox.
June 1: Red Sox's Mookie Betts celebrates with Xander Bogaerts after hitting his second home run of the game against the Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
May 31: Rockies shortstop Trevor Story walks off the field in the third inning against the Reds at Coors Field.
May 30: White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton falls back after a high pitch against the Mets during the 7th inning at Citi Field.
May 29: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is tagged out by Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar.
May 28: Mets fans cheer for Noah Syndergaard as he leaves the field after being ejected from the game in the third inning for throwing behind Dodgers' Chase Utley.
May 27: Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is out at second base as White Sox second baseman Brett Lawrie turns a double play at Kauffman Stadium.
May 26: Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) makes the out to end the top of the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park.
May 25: Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin (4) runs into the center field wall during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Comerica Park. Phillies win 8-5.
May 24: Royals catcher Salvador Perez dumps a bucket of water on second baseman Whit Merrifield after they defeat the Twins.
May 23, 2016; Mariners left fielder Norichika Aoki catches a line drive for an out against the Athletics.
May 22: Giants center fielder Denard Span makes a leaping catch against the Cubs.
May 21: Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz slides safely into third base against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
May 20: Indians' Francisco Lindor is called safe at home plate against Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez.
May 19: Rockies catcher Tony Wolters receives the throw as Cardinals' Randal Grichuk slides safely into home.
May 18: Royals catcher Salvador Perez dumps a bucket of ice water on right fielder Jarrod Dyson after beating the Red Sox.
May 17: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado (13) waits on deck in the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
May 16: Blue Jays catcher Josh Thole prepares to tag out Rays DH Brandon Guyer at the plate.
May 15: The Blue Jays and Rangers clear the bench after Jose Bautista was punched by Rougned Odor in the eighth inning after Bautista's hard slide.
May 14: Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp holds on to the ball after a collision with Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez to seal Philadelphia's win.
May 13: Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor reacts to an inside pitch against the Blue Jays at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
May 12: In a multiple exposure image, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw delivers during his three-hit shutout of the Mets.
May 11: Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer is doused after the tying the MLB strike out record 20 batters against the Tigers.
May 10: Mariners first baseman Dae-Ho Lee hits a three-run homer against the Rays at Safeco Field.
May 9: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia knocks down but cannot come up with an infield hit by Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia at Fenway Park.
May 8: Cubs' Javier Baez celebrates his walk-off home run in the 13th inning against the Nationals.
May 7: Mets' Bartolo Colon celebrates his first career home run, a milestone he finally hit at age 42.
May 6: Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler catches a fly ball hit by Washington's Ryan Zimmerman at Wrigley Field.
May 4: Padres starting pitcher Colin Rea pitches against the Mets during the first inning at Petco Park. Rea took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.
May 4: Rangers shortstop Hanser Alberto has a bubble break onto his face in the dugout during the fifth inning against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
May 3: Marlins pinch hitter Derek Dietrich is tagged out by Diamondbacks catcher Welington Castillo at home plate at Marlins Park.
May 2: Mets starting pitcher Bartolo Colon bunts a pop out to the pitcher against the Braves at Citi Field.
May 1: Athletics center fielder Billy Burns is surrounded by sea gulls during a game against the Astros.
April 30: Rockies shortstop Trevor Story forces out Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt at second base and throws to first to complete double play at Chase Field.ts
April 29: Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki catches a throw as Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler scores and umpire Ryan Blakney watches at Target Field.
April 28: White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier celebrates a home run against the Orioles with teammate Brett Lawrie.
April 27: Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the Padres at AT&T Park.
April 26: Addison Russell, left, and Ben Zobrist celebrate a Cubs win over the Brewers.
April 25: Rays' Steven Souza Jr. reacts after sliding safely into home plate against the Orioles.
April 24: Bryce Harper rounds the bases after hitting a pinch-hit, game-tying home run in the ninth inning against the Twins.
April 23: Pirates 2B Josh Harrison attempts to turn a double play against the Diamondbacks.
April 22: The Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury (22) steals home against the Rays in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium.
April 21: Cubs ace Jake Arrieta takes the field for the bottom of the ninth inning. Arrieta finished off the Reds in the inning for his second career no-hitter.
April 20: Athletics' Chris Coghlan scores as Yankees catcher Brian McCann drops the ball in the fourth inning.
April 19: Padres manager Andy Green gets ejected by umpire Brian Gorman during the third inning against the Pirates.
April 18: Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa misses tagging the base while throwing to first as Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria slides in at Marlins Park.
April 17: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig slides safely into home against the Giants.
April 16: Astros shortstop Carlos Correa throws out a runner at first base during the first inning against the Tigers at Minute Maid Park.
April 15: Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke pitches during the first inning against the Padres at Petco Park.
April 14: Bryce Harper becomes the eighth-youngest player to hit 100 homers at 23 years and 181 days old.
April 13: Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes leaps into the stands trying to catch a foul ball hit by Ichiro Suzuki.
April 12: Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar catches the ball but is unable to make the play as A's center fielder Billy Burns slides safe into third base.
April 11: Braves center fielder Mallex Smith walks off the field after being called out against the Nationals. Smith was injured on the play and left the game.
<div class="_smg-image-wrap" data-orientation="" data-imgaspectratio="1.3" data-imgcaption="April 10: Royals' Terrance Gore is congratulated by Eric Hosmer after scoring from third base on a wild pitch in the 10th inning against the Twins." data-imgcredit="John Rieger, USA TODAY Sports" data-imgsrc="http://i0.wp.com/www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a3fd34b7daba75712821ea76e188bca770d5609e/c=311-0-4479-3134/local/-/media/2016/04/10/USATODAY/USATODAY/635959151402174421-USATSI-9243823.jpg?resize=660%2C495" data-imgthumbsrc="http://i0.wp.com/www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a3fd34b7daba75712821ea76e188bca770d5609e/c=311-0-4479-3134/local/-/media/2016/04/10/USATODAY/USATODAY/635959151402174421-USATSI-9243823.jpg?resize=660%2C495" data-i