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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
Yeah, that’s just wrong. They may not be smart always about how they allocate funds, but they spend.
it’s more important to be smart than to be able to throw money around.
the #1 priority should be spending on drafting and international free agents. it saves money long-term and builds long-term success.
the mets should be signing the dodgers, red sox, and twins’ scouts.
Why is there such a heavy focus on international free agents? How about drafting domestically in the U.S.?
by drafting, i’m talking about drafting domestic players. i’m for both.
I love how people get on their backs when nothing has even happened, its like whenever any sports writerer/commenter says something negative about the Mets, you all believe it immediatly, but whenever someone may say something positive, you’ll wait it out, you won’t believe it, because their sports writers, what do they know? they’re always wrong….
i believe the facts. the facts are that the mets have stuck to the slotting system in the past. period.
everyone who reads this blog regularly knows i’m very positive about the mets. i’m also honest. you can’t give the mets every benefit of the doubt. this team is a mess. i’m still hopeful, but i’m not ignorant.
I hope Matt is right, the Mets CAN NOT slot here. They have 5 picks in the top 100 and we are in New York the biggest market in the world, screw the stupid All Star Game, who cares. The minor league system is more important than getting the All Star Game in 2011 or 2015. The Yankees and Red Sox have made a killing by paying over slot and look how good there minor league systems are. Can we just take the best prospect available, and please enough with these middle relievers, get some hitters and starting pitchers please.
Make nice in an effort to host the All-Star Game? Didn’t the tigers, notoroius for going outside the slotting system, just host? The Yankees? This franchise will have gone 49 years without hosting the All-Star Game as of 2013. We don’t have to suck up to anyone.
As for strategy, with more and more players going from college to the majors with little to no minor league time, the Mets have to start thinking about drafting potential impact players who could contibute as early as this year. This team has no ML-ready minor league talent – we can’t afford to play nice and draft players for 2011 if we want to win.
Sounds like an unfounded excuse to cover up why they still adhere to slotting.
Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers (and the Indians, I think) have been getting away with this. As someone said, if no one is going to enforce it – and there aren’t any obvious ramifications for violating it – then the Mets must stop slotting. Just look at some of the young talent on those teams (say what you whill about Ian Kennedy), and the Mets would be fools to play by the “rules” this year….
I get the whole freak out about the slotting system and yada yada, but the Mets problem has NOT been refusal to pay over slot, it has been not having draft picks of any consequence in four years.
The only player the Mets balked at giving big first round money to was a hurt high school arm that already had Tommy John Surgery.
Whom by the way is not doing all that hot currently.
The Mets may have made bad picks in the 2007 draft, but it had more to do with what talent was there at the time vs. helping Selig.
Could it be our scouts aren’t that good? Just a thought.
Are you talking about Beato? Or Efferson last year?
There have been quite a few players the mets scoffed at… and even more we didn’t pick that were sitting there…
You are right. They have not done well in the draft and they haven’t had much in the way of picks lately. BUT, now that we do have three picks before the second round, why tie a hand behind your back by refusing to go over slot? Doesn’t mean they have to. But they ought to be willing to if necessary.
I love how the Wilpons are “cheap” yet our team always has one of the top 5 payrolls…those comments are so moronic its unbelievable…
as far as slotting and anythign else regarding the draft…the draft has taken a different turn i nthe past few years because college players are now getting drafted very high and being thrown into the mix early, a la Mike Pelfrey, instead of drafting highly touted 17 year olds like in 2004 and earlier….i dont care if they slot as long as they are college players.
See Joe Smith.
Give me a team full of Joe Smiths and I’ll show you a no hit team with a decent right-handed bullpen.
I don’t see why not being cheap with the major league payroll means they can’t be cheap when it comes to the minors.
If there is any argument, it’s that the Mets might be overcommitted to foreign scouting and not putting proper resources – scouting resources – into the draft.
Of course none of us are the Mets accountants, so that’s just speculation.
My issue with their draft strategy has alsways been they take the concensus “safe” pick instead of taking a few chances.
Jason Tyner?
and another thing….get the best player available…if its a SS or 3B so what? I mean the guy might not pan out and if he does you move his position in AAA or trade them then, but dont not draft the best available like that cause of Reyes or Wright.
I agree totally with that, if the best player is a position we alreay have covered then you still have the draft that player no matter what.
The Mets don’t know how to scout starting pitching anymore, their system doesn’t know how to develop them without injuring them, and Rick Peterson will wreck ‘em (or advise to trade them for 10 minute fixes), so just gun for position players with near MLB talent. Sign them quickly and plug them into AA this year. No more of the February/March signings of next year and killing their development. If they can get Jason Castro and Jemile Weeks in the 1st round, then get one of the many 1B/OF who fall out of the 1st round with the sandwich pick. Allen Dykstra could be there. In reality, I’m bracking for 3 more kids who are preparing for their senior proms right now.
Typical self-serving Wilpons. Complete nonsense…..
with 2 picks in the middle of the 1st round this year, here’s hoping for the 2010 ROY, CY and MVP and WSC. and no more Shawn Abners, etc.
Also paying above the slot isn’t going to automatically fix our farm system. Considering we at had 3 top 12 picks in a row, in Pelfrey, Humber, and Milledge and none of them really ammounted to anything for us, other than trade bait in Milledge and Humber, maybe the problem isn’t with the money we spend drafting but with our scouting and development.
We most certainly have a deficient scouting system. No doubt.
Thats an excellent example!
That’s fair, but look at the first round of the draft over the past several years. There are MANY players on MANY teams that never panned out. The draft does involve planning and talent evaluation, but it also involves a good deal of luck. The advantage of not adhering to the slotting system is that you maximize your chances of “hitting” on top talent.
However, there are clearly going to be variables that aren’t considered (or aren’t considered enough) by each team that causes them to be less likely to find those future All-Stars. In that way, there’s always room for improvement to draft strategy.
But how many teams with our resources have only been able to produce 3 or 4 good players, in lets just say this decade? Even most of the guys we’ve traded have ended up being average at best.
I’m still waiting for proof (other than the weak example of Beato) that the Mets have passed over better talent solely for the reason of sticking to slot.
Still sounds like just a poor excuse for poor draft choices..
It’s like the Loch Ness monster, everyone talks about it but no one ever sees it.
Like i said earlier, it may not have specifically haunted us yet, but it could. Why limit yourself if you don’t have to? Also, might not there have been cases where the Mets passed up a player knowing he’d demand above slot?
I would have to say it hasn’t haunted them yet because I haven’t seen it and no writers can give examples of it.
Are you going to get on the Wilpons for something that could happen as opposed to something that did happen?
Who says the Mets are limiting themselves?
Sorry, I know some experts are saying it. But then Keith Law also trashed the Milledge trade. So what does he really know? I don’t think much of Law.
And sure, it’s possible the Mets did pass up someone who might cost more. But who? Can we get even one good clear cut example instead of the incredibly weak Beato?
If you decide to pay slot and not go over, you are by definition limiting what you will pay. Limiting what you will pay is limiting yourself. I am not for a second suggesting that the Mets go over slot just for the heck of it, but if the occasion arises that there is a top notch player available (say a talent like the Uptons or Longoria) who has made it known that he has high salary/bonus demands, I would think it a shame to LIMIT THEMSELVES to slot and not f=draft that guy.
We don’t know that it has ever happened that the Mets have lost out. We don’t know that it ever will happen that they will lose out. But by sticking to slot, they are more likely to miss out than if they are willing to go above slot.
If you say you will only date blondes, you may end up perfectly happy in your dating life. Of course you could end up missing out on the chance to meet and date a wonderful redhead as a result. Will it happen? Maybe not. Could it happen? Yes.
Tidewater, I think you misunderstood me.
I never suggested you were saying the Mets should go over slot just for the heck of it.
My question is if sticking to slot has ever hurt the Mets? IOW, has there been one player of note the Mets preferred but passed over due to concerns of slotting?
Surely if slotting were a problem with the Mets, we’d have at least one example to point to say — Look, that’s why slotting hurt them!
We don’t have any real examples. It’s mythical.
There’s a difference between sticking to slot and sticking to blondes. You know who the blondes are before you ask them for a date. I doubt teams always know what every top player wants before they draft them. This difference means that if the Mets were sticking to slot and it was a problem, we would have seem lots of top talent drafted by the Mets unsigned. AFAIK, we haven’t seen that.
This slotting issue as it pertains to the Mets is like Nessie.
Players in the first round always make it quite clear what their demands are before they are selected. There are no secrets in the first round.
I’ve never been burned by not having a working smoke alarm, but I’m more likely to suffer because I don’t.
They should be willing to go over slot whether not doing so has hurt them in the past or not. Eventually it could.
They have big money. They should be willing in the right cases to go over slot.
You don’t always know who the blonde is before you ask her out. Or maybe we just have dated differently.
I don’t think that’s always true, but lets assume it is. Which first round player did the Mets pass up because of slotting issues?
It’s not an issue until it becomes one — ie, they fail to sign someone because they won’t break slot.
Just because their payments have been within slot recently doesn’t mean they are unwilling to go out of it.
And, yes, you do know who the blonde is before asking her out. Just not the natural blonde perhaps. Or, maybe you do a lot of blind dating?
They have announced a policy in the past of not going over slot. That’s why this an issue.
When there is a concrete example, it will be too late.
I’ve never had a blind date in my life, but I have asked out women because they looked cute without knowing a thing about them.
I don’t think they ever said they were sticking to slot.
Sorry, but I want some proof that 1) slotting is their strict policy and 2) it’s hurt them in the past
So you’ve always known the color of their hair, right? That was my point about knowing who the blonds (natural or otherwise) were beforehand. With the draft, I don’t believe they know what every first round pick wants. Some, yes. But not all.
Please read:
“We’ve adhered to the commissioner’s slot recommendations,” Minaya said. “We’ve been good citizens. But not all the teams have done that, and the competitive balance is not fair. We have to take that position under review as an organization.”
They have indeed made it a policy. There is buzz that they will continue to.
That was in a BA column about the Mets top prospects. I saw that too. And it seemed to be a direct answer to why the Mets farm system was so poor. IOW, it was a copout answer.
I want to see proof that slotting has been an issue with the Mets. Omar can talk all he wants, but until I see proof, I don’t believe it for a second.
This is my last post on the subject. A system can be flawed without yet showing flawed results. That doesn’t mean the system is fine.
I was involved in a back and forth with you a week or two ago and I know that arguing with you is useless. So enjoy your day.
Agreed that a system can be flawed without yet showing flawed results. But …
1) there is no proof that slotting is in fact a hard-and-fast rule for the Mets. Omar has stated at other times that he will break slot if it makes sense. (See Metlomaniac’s post below.)
2) it hasn’t yet hurt the Mets so why gripe about it if it hasn”t hurt them? I’m not necessarily talking about you here. But the many fans who are criticizing the Wilpons for being cheap.
Despite, or maybe because of, the Mets large free agent spending over the past few years, I have to believe that they WILL go by the slotting system, and thereby ensure that they don’t get the best talent possible.
There are two reasons for their doing this:
1. They are cheap.
2. They are unwilling to rock the boat and tell MLB where to stick their slotting system. And when you think about it, this is related to #1 above — that they are cheap. If they defy the slotting system as do the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Tigers, then there will be more teams doing it and bonuses will go up even higher. So yes, it comes down to being cheap.
Can you give one example where the Mets passed up a gem because of sticking to slot?
If not, better not bash them for something that has no basis in reality.
Your request for an example is a false one because it is difficult to prove whether a team let a better player slip by simply because of money/signing reasons or whether they actually believed that the player they picked is better.
At any rate, the Mets did not have a first round pick in 2006 and 2007, and that is the round where this kind of shenanigans occurs. So those years can’t be evaluated to answer your question.
Nonetheless, a legitimate argument can be made that the Mets HAVE passed on better players over money reasons. It can also be asserted strongly that their scouting system is abysmal and that they have consistently made bad choices in recent drafts.
Let’s start in 2003 when the Mets took Lastings Milledge at #12. Here are players that were chosen AFTER Milledge, and therefore, were available to the Mets:
Jonathan Papelbon
Chad Cordero
Chad Billingsly
Carlos Quentin
Andre Ethier
Andrew Miller
Ryan Garko
In 2004, the Mets took Philip Humber and paid him a 3.7 million dollar signing bonus at #3.
That same draft, Jered Weaver was picked at #12 and given a 4 million dollar bonus. Ditto for Steven Drew picked at #15 of the same draft.
David “Homer” Bailey of the Reds was picked at #7 and got a $2.3 million signing bonus.
Other players that got picked after Humber were:
Philip Hughes
Blake Dewitt
In the 2005 draft, the Mets picked the immortal Mike Pelfrey at #9 and gave him a 3.5 million dollar signing bonus. That same year they could have had the following players who were picked after Pelfrey:
Cameron Maybin
Jay Bruce
Jacoby Ellsbury
Matt Garza
Craig Hansen
Yunel Escobar
And this is partly why the Mets are in the state that they are in. They have made some poor draft choices and those choices have arguably included allowing better players to slip below them to avoid paying a higher bonus.
It can also be asserted strongly that their scouting system is abysmal and that they have consistently made bad choices in recent drafts.
Agree completely. But that is not the issue.
a legitimate argument can be made that the Mets HAVE passed on better players over money reasons.
Sorry, but your examples are weak. In 2004, paying a later first round pick just $333,000 more is not indicative of a slotting issue to me. And just saying there were better players picked after certainly is not proof that there was a slotting issue. And how is Bailey supportive of your opinion that slotting is an issue? The Mets paid Humber more than Bailey.
Same with the 2005 draft. Just saying better players were picked after is NO proof that slotting ever was an issue.
Well it’s too early to judge more recent drafts, but 2004 sticks out now. Humber was clearly a “signability” pick at #3. Not that he wasn’t considered a great college talent, but he’s always been seen as a “middle rotation ceiling” guy, clearly not among the tippy top talent available at #3. The Mets passed on Stephen Drew (yeah, not proven to be a gem but the consensus #1 pick – top talent on draft day) and also Jered Weaver (the best college pitcher in the nation that year). Both slipped due to the Boras factor.
The 2nd round was a travesty, picking Matt Durkin, who was a 4th round consensus at best. They passed on a position of great need (Kurt Suzuki, C) and Dustin Pedroia and Hunter Pence. Yovani Gallardo was a HS stud picked 2 picks later.
Of course there are lots of bombs in those 1st two rounds, as well. It wasn’t only the Mets who avoided the Boras guys (happens all the time), and they’re not the only team who chose wrongly (happens all the time), but few teams have the financial resources of the Mets to sign and scout better talent.
There is a draft top 5 rated HS 1st baseman, Eric Hosmer, being “advised” by Boras. Also, consensus #1 overall Pedro Alvarez (3B). Either or both could possibly start to fall on draft day. It’s always inconceivable until it happens. Hopefully the Mets are locked in on “their guy” should one of the Boras guys fall into their lap at #18.
And, yet, Pelfrey is a Boras client. So there goes your argument out the window that the Mets avoid Boras clients.
And just saying better talent was picked after Pelfrey is not proof either of a slotting issue. That’s 20/20 hindsight, and probably more of a poor scouting issue.
I tell you what … for anyone insisting the Mets have a slotting issue, after this year’s draft, tell me who you think should have been picked who was passed over for money reasons.
I stated right up front that it would be difficult to prove that they are letting better players pass by over money issues.
My main point, and maybe I failed to express it well, was that the Mets have made bad draft picks over the past recent years and whether it was over money or faulty talent evaluation, that, more than anything, is the reason the Mets farm system is in as poor shape as it is.
For anyone who’s interested here’s a pretty good post about the problems with the mets farm system from metsgeek last December.
metsgeek.com/articles/2007/12/06/why-the-mets-dont-have-the-trading-chips/
and this story turned out to be tottally bogus, as the Mets landed up with enough chips to trade for Santana
Did you actually read the post or just the headline?
And I think it’s been well documented that we landed Santana because the Red Sox and Yankees both backed off a bit and weren’t willing to give up their top tier players.
Not to mention the Santana trade wiped out our chips. This is about chips for trades in general not just Santana, which we obviously still don’t have.
Matt – suggesting one has to do with the other is ridiculous. NY baseball is bigger then the MLB, they need NY. Without a doubt Citi field will host an all star game in the near future, every new stadium does.
so far not a single example other than Beato of a guy the Mets shorted on slot, and Beato had Tommy John surgery as a TEENAGER!
Can someone tell me how by not going by the slotting system has helped the Yankees…it’s not all about the money guys…Phil Hughes is an overrated piece of trash, and Ian Kennedy is no better that Mike Pelfrey…While the players the red sox have gotten have been good…it’s more about talent evaluation than money….
And the money/resources you put into developing the talent. The Mets philosophy to develop to push every “highly touted” prospect they have to higher levels, regardless of performance, while letting some of their lower-rung guys meander through the minors, only get call-ups or promotions in emergency situations.
If I understand the slotting situation correctly, what we are asking the Mets to do is be willing to pay the guys who fall to later rounds because of their high signing demands.
Maybe this has been a problem in the past (maybe not, as others have not yet found an example), but this year we actually have first round picks, so the slotting is really neither here nor there. The issue is who they take with those picks.
It would still be there, there are top 5/10 guys who can fall because of sign ability. It’s not just falling to later rounds, it’s falling in general. From what I understand.
More evidence that winning is not the biggest goal for the Wilpons
Or they just might not know how to go about doing it. I think someone else mentioned we need someone between them and Omar to help oversee baseball decisions.
There is a very good chance Hosmer or another top 10 talent is available at our turn at 18 due to Boras.
If we pass, I’ll vomit.
How long have the Mets been going by this slotting system, because if I’m not mistaken, weren’t Kazmir and Milledge both taken in the middle of the first round because teams were afraid of their signing demands? That was only in ‘02 and ‘03, and then we had a top-5 pick in ‘04 and and the #9 pick in ‘05 (in which we took the #1 pitching prospect, Pelfrey, who fell to us b/c of signing concerns), and then didn’t have a first-round pick in the last two drafts.
It’s probably an issue in the later rounds of the draft, but it seems like the Mets haven’t been as bad as most people are making them out to be in the first round this decade.
That is true but also, keep in mind a good number of prospects in the high school and college ranks are being advised or represented by Scott Boras. Anyone know the stats to Pedro Beato who the Mets drafted in 2005 but was not signed. He eventually signed with the Orioles in the 2006 MLB draft as the 32nd overall selection.
I still say **** the slotting system. If the Wilpons and Minaya feel the All-Star game is more important than making out like bandits with five selections within the first 100 picks (18th, 22nd, 33rd, 64th, 96th), then I do not want to see middle relievers and the Pelfreys who can’t cut it with runners in scoring position and two outs. If you look at the Tampa Bay Rays, they are the only team in MLB that have been making out like thieves for the last 5-6 years drafting in the top five even when former Met GM Jim Duquette gift wrapped Scott Kazmir for someone not named Carlos Zambrano.
“The Nationals, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees aggressively went over slot, or for multiple players.
That didn’t sit well with the clubs that adhered to slotting, especially after they received assurances from MLB throughout the summer that no teams were going to ignore the guidelines.”
Assurances? Can someone explain to me how the slotting system is not an example of collusion?
Sports leagues, by their very nature, get excusions from the feds to the anti-trust laws, an d other gnerally outlawed business practices.
My recollection is that Omar has been pretty clear on a number of occasions that the Mets would ignore slotting “when the situation warranted it”. Now, that equivocation gives Omar lots of wiggle room, but it’s my guess (hope?) that the current Met comments are meant to appease Selig and co that the Mets will continue to play ball, and in the event they don’t go over slot, no harm, no foul. If the opportunity arises amd they do go over slot, then they can deal with Selig, but not until then.
That’s probably it. There is no strict “adherence to slotting” policy. But at the same time there is a desire to stay within slot when it makes sense.
Bottom line: Slotting has not hurt the Mets so far in their recent drafts. That is not at the bottom of the current state of their farm system.
I agree. If anything the front office choosing to stick to slotting is just a poor excuse for our farm system issues.
Another thing, if MLB is tying getting the ASG to obeying the slotting guidelines, how the hell did the Yankees get an ASG?
Slotting is collusion. Then again – the Players Union can’t do anything about that because none of those players are repped by the union until they crack an MLB roster or are given a MLB contract the moment they are drafted.
1. The Yanks invented over-slotting and are hosting an All-Star game in a month.
2. 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?