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In a recent chat for Baseball America, Jim Callis wrote that, while the Mets are financially capable of spending as much as any other team in baseball, it appears they will ‘stick to slotting’ once again in 2008.
At Hot Foot, Anthony De Rosa swaps e-mails with Callis in an effort to understand why the Mets will do this, after which he is left ‘scratching his head.’
For more on the ‘slotting system,’ check out Baseball Prospectus (scroll down) and Baseball America.
Callis has written this about the Mets before, as has Keith Law from ESPN.com.
The thing is, according to people connected to the Mets, and those would dictate this policy, the sense I get is the opposite.
However, I also trust Callis and Law, who are among the best at what they do.
It makes me wonder if the Mets are sending mixed signals as they approach the draft, knowing there is no way to predict exactly what will happen, all while they also try to make nice with the Commisioner’s Office as they work to host an All Star Game in Citi Field, among other things.
What do I know is that, thanks to a bevy of free agent signings and trades from the last few years, and a rapidly changing baseball economy, the Mets need to make out like bandits during this year’s draft – and adhering to the slotting system may hurt such a goal.
In other words, speaking as a fan, I would rather the Mets draft a potential ace than host an All Star Game.
This year’s Draft will take place in Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, on Thursday, June 5 at 2 pm through 9 pm, and will continue the next day starting at 11:30 am.
ESPN 2 will televise the first four hours of the draft.
If MLB wants slotting (which they do) they should make it a rule, otherwise they should butt out!
Have to get it by the players’s union.. same reason there’s no salary cap in baseball.. it ain’t gonna happen…
Actually it could happen if they drop the draft-pick for free agent compensation system. That, and that alone, is what allows the union to have a say in the draft.
Great, more middle relief pitchers coming our way…………hoorah!!
My thoughts exactly.
what is the slotting system? can someone explain please!!!
Slotting is sticking to drafting players at their “appropriate” spots in order to pay them what MLB feels a, let’s say, 20th pick should be paid. It discourages players from demanding big money or else they could get the Rick Porcello treatment and drop bigtime in the draft.
But if the Mets are really doing this just to cozy up to the commissioner’s office, I’d feel even more ashamed to be a Mets fan.
And paying above the slot is when big market teams drafting low who can afford the big signing bonuses the player who fell demanded drafts them, so they basically buy a top 10 pick. This is discouraged by the league but teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Detroit have been doing it to build their farm systems up quickly.
I agree Matt, Law is excellent and my favorite personality at MLB Scouts Inc. by far. Like you, he was laughing at the people who swore up and down the Mets didn’t have the goods to get Johan.
We’ll see how this shakes out, I hope the Mets make a big splash this draft. They need it.
Maybe all this means is that the Mets are considering not adhering to it, but in case they have no need/opportunity to go against the league suggestions, they want to pretend that they’re going to obey.
i don’t see why they’re saying anything at all.
I agree, why tip your hand either way.
They probably haven’t said anything officially, but some loudmouth with “knowledge” leaked it. That’s how journalists hear things — moles inside organizations/administrations.
This is such a HUGE problem for the Mets.. I am so glad to see it discussed here..
Look at what the Sox are paying for Ellsbury vs the Yanks for Damon.. look at what we pay for Pedro vs what they pay for Bucholtz…
Investing 6 million in the draft can save you 10 times that down the road if not more..
With 3 first round picks we MUST take the best players available and not worry about their signing bonus..
Baseball is changing.. guys like Longoria and Braun are getting signed to big league deals as soon as they show they can produce.. building via Free Agency is almost impossible now a days..
The mets MUST step to the plate, and use their resources in the draft.
100% agree.
your words are pure gold. after last night, how soon do the reds begin talks with jay bruce.
Agreed. Free Agency is going by the wayside in regards to big name players, they are getting fewer and fewer.
And my first thoughts after the Longoria signing was how we handled Wright and Reyes.
I know being a Mets fan makes us natural naysayers, but could it be that The Wilpons, Omar and Co. were ahead of the curve on this one?
Yes agree… they did a very nice job with Reyes and Wright…
Agreed—I think it is ridiculous that the Wilpons continually raise ticket prices, but won’t put up the money to draft the best players available. You want to slot—fine. You want to spend what other teams spend–fine. Then charge what other teams charge. I wonder how much Royals season tickets are?
can someone explain the slotting system?
scroll up and read the post by Ludacrispat.
there’s an article right in the post that will explain it, take the time to actually read it. As for what the Mets will do and who is saying what, it all doesn’t matter until the draft happens and we find out what the Mets do, and which players they actually end up getting and where.
we’re talking about the god damn ALL STAR GAME????
UNREAL
unbelievable. paging mark cuban. please buy our team.
The Coupons are really using their will to win to their advantage here………..geez.
Maybe you should look at how much the Wilpons invest in foreign scouting and signing bonuses before accusing them of being cheap - there are two ways to build your system in today’s game, and the draft is but one.
Well then how about this: Hey Fred, quit trying to be buddies with Selig and draft the best players regardless of the slot. We need a huge drat because we need much more talent in our system. all you have to look at is how when we needed an OF last week we called up a 3rd catcher because we had nobody else ready to call up.
Considering we’ve only brought in 3 big name players, F-mart, Guerra and Tejada in the 3 years Omar has been here and that our player development/scouting in the minors seems to be seriously lacking I’d say they’re probably not spending enough to excuse not spending on the draft.
Plus there’s no reason we can’t afford to do both, the Red Sox and Yankees do both, so that’s really no excuse either.
how can people STILL call them the coupons with the ridiculous payroll we have? unreal