Pirates open spot-'06 draft

[pirates]

Since the draft is now complete and the Pirates have an open spot (because of an earlier trade of a draft pick), the Pirates will sign Serguey Linares, P (Cuba) from the Pirates organization.

[Mariners]

pirates said:

Since the draft is now complete and the Pirates have an open spot (because of an earlier trade of a draft pick), the Pirates will sign Serguey Linares, P (Cuba) from the Pirates organization.

Should'nt he be in our 2007 draft because he signed his contract after 1/1/07?

That is how Saito got picked up last year, when he should have been held for our latest draft.

[pirates]

According to the rules:

Each year there will be a New Player Draft for players drafted and signed in the MLB June draft and international players signed after the start of the season. Draft pick trading is allowed but no picks can be traded prior to completion of the regular season for that year when the draft order is set.

Each team will have a 5 man draft roster for that season. As stated above, players on the draft roster must graduate to the 40 man roster prior to the next season's draft.

[Mariners]

pirates said:

According to the rules:

Each year there will be a New Player Draft for players drafted and signed in the MLB June draft and international players signed after the start of the season. Draft pick trading is allowed but no picks can be traded prior to completion of the regular season for that year when the draft order is set.

Each team will have a 5 man draft roster for that season. As stated above, players on the draft roster must graduate to the 40 man roster prior to the next season's draft.

You are missing the point. He JUST signed his contract so HE should not be available to be picked up/drafted until the next draft.

You can sign anyone else from the last draft, but not a guy who signed his Major League Contract in 2007!
*The only exception to that would be DFE's (details below).

This is exactly how Saito got picked up last year when he should have been available to all of us during this latest draft, because he signed his Major League Contract AFTER the 2005 draft.

DFE (Draft Follow Evaluate) or 'draft & follows', those are the College guys who your team (and real teams) drafted and hold the right too, ex. Max Scherzer (more below). We won't have to have this exeption after this year because Major League Baseball is doing away with the DFE process and making a uniform signing date. So in the future EVERYBODY will be under contract so we won't lose the Luke Hochevar's etc.

Unrestricted free agents don't have this same exemption.

[pirates]

mariners said:

pirates said:

According to the rules:

Each year there will be a New Player Draft for players drafted and signed in the MLB June draft and international players signed after the start of the season. Draft pick trading is allowed but no picks can be traded prior to completion of the regular season for that year when the draft order is set.

Each team will have a 5 man draft roster for that season. As stated above, players on the draft roster must graduate to the 40 man roster prior to the next season's draft.

You are missing the point. He JUST signed his contract so HE should not be available to be picked up/drafted until the next draft.

You can sign anyone else from the last draft, but not a guy who signed his Major League Contract in 2007!

This is exactly how Saito got picked up last year when he should have been available to all of us during this latest draft, because he signed his Major League Contract AFTER the 2005 draft.

I disagree. The key phrase in the rules is "international players signed after the start of the season". Any international players signed prior to the start of the season are free agents and eligible to be picked up. There is no mention of calendar year in the rules.

[Mariners]

"international players signed after the start of the season"

Well, if that is what it says in the rules, then I am 100% wrong. That is different than another league I'm in and I thought we used the same rules on this particular subject, my apologies.

[pirates]

No problem. That rule should probably be re-written to change it to end of calendar year or the end of the FA draft.

[draysgm]

pirates said:

Since the draft is now complete and the Pirates have an open spot (because of an earlier trade of a draft pick), the Pirates will sign Serguey Linares, P (Cuba) from the Pirates organization.

The rule in question does need to changed ... But we shouldn't get into a big debate about Linares.

Linares, who is listed as 23, is a Cuban defector with a big fastball and little else. He had a career record of 7-20 with a 5.59 ERA in 37 games as a pro in Cuba. While he's getting an invitation to spring training, he probably won't open the year higher than Double-A. (USA Today)

I would recommend making the eligibility cutoff for international players to be any international player who signed with a major league organization between the time the previous year's IYFBL draft began and prior to the beginning of the current year's IYFBL draft.

Upon implementing this rule, I would "grandfather" Linares ... but allow no other players to be picked up as Free Agents who sign (or signed) with a major league organization since the beginning of the just completed IYFBL draft. For the record, it commenced on December 20, 2006. Any international player who signed or signs between 12/20/06 and the start of the next draft is to be viewed as eligible for the next draft.

I am not the Commissioner ... Rich is so it is his call ... but this what I recommend.

[pirates]

I agree the rule should be changed. I like the approach of Tampa Bay. I also agree that he is not the kind of player to get into a big debate about. I had considered others for the final spot I had open, but I chose Linares, because I'm a Pirate fan.

[draysgm]

pirates said:

I agree the rule should be changed. I like the approach of Tampa Bay. I also agree that he is not the kind of player to get into a big debate about. I had considered others for the final spot I had open, but I chose Linares, because I'm a Pirate fan.

Linares might make it ... and if he were Dice-K or Lincecum, we would have a reason for a large debate. Fortunately for all of us, he isn't.

My point wasn't meant to besmirch Linares or the pick. My point was simply - let's get it right for the future - and avoid the debate altogether!

[Mets GM]

I think the start of the season is a good cut off for all signings. It's easy, and clear cut.

Anybody who signs anything after opening day, is draft eligible.

Question would be, how do you handle someone like Juan Gonzalez, if he comes back and mashes. Would he need to be drafted, or can he be signed outright?

[pirates]

I would think that Gonzalez or anyone like him can be signed. This draft is just for those signing their 1st professional contract.

[Mets GM]

agreed

[Administrator]

metsgm said:

I think the start of the season is a good cut off for all signings. It's easy, and clear cut.

Anybody who signs anything after opening day, is draft eligible.

Question would be, how do you handle someone like Juan Gonzalez, if he comes back and mashes. Would he need to be drafted, or can he be signed outright?

This is how the rule is currently, it doesn't need to be changed. From the Rules:

"Each year there will be a New Player Draft for players drafted and signed in the MLB June draft and international players signed after the start of the season."

The start of the season is the cutoff point. I don't see any logic in tying the signing of international players to the timing of the free agent draft or calendar. Any international player signed before the start of the season is subject to the previous year's draft and if not taken in our draft they are a free agent. I understand this leaves a 3 month window for international players signed after our draft, but I don't feel the likelihood of an impact signing being made during this period is high. And if there is an international player that you think might sign, you can and should draft him, just like you would draft a college player you feel will sign before the next draft. I will clarify the rule better and address international players specifically.

[pirates]

Sounds good. So, I assume my signing is vald.

Thanks for clarifying that. I was under the impression that a player had to be signed before we could draft him.