In the New York Times, Ben Shpigel does a fantastic job digging in to why the Mets spend as they do on their draft picks.
According to Shpigel, Omar Minaya said the team will spend more in the 2010 draft, when they have the No. 7 pick over all.
…like i said last month, i have talked to a few player agents over the last week, and to a man they all say it is a given that the Mets are notorious for not spending heavily on 
the draft… and, since this is understood going in, top players do not slip to them… for more on this idea of drafting over slot, click here…
Speaking of the Mets farm system, check out the Daily Stache, where Michael Ganci talks with minor-league guru Jonathan Mayo from MiLB.com the team’s top prospects, including Fernando Martinez, Brad Holt, Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, and others.
In the end, Mayo feels the Mets still rank among the league’s worst farm systems, but, he says, “There are some interesting young arms from international scouting efforts and Ike Davis looks legit.”
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That’s a great interview with Jonathan Mayo. Our upper level teams will soon be stronger. It’s nice to hear there is some hope on the horizon. Maybe not a lot this season, but certainly for 2011.
Like his take on Fernando, I agree as well. Give the kid a chance, he’s going to open some eyes.
No surprise about Nick Evans…I think many people here agree he was always overrated.
This and the fact that our 1st round pick is secured are reasons why we should look to fill our holes through free agency not trade (yes i would love halladay but if we sign lackey instead id be just as happy). If we sign holliday and 2 SP and a catcher we’d be fine. Any trades for bullpen or bench help would be minor and thus not effect our overall farm system since I doubt Ike Davis is going anywhere for a LH pinch hitter.
Matt,
Please explain to me how the Mets spending habbits have anything to do with players slipping to them?
I am failing to make the connection here. If a player slips to them, its because the teams ahead of them have decided that the player in question is to expensive for them or cant afford them, otherwise teams draft the best available player. How exactly does the Mets willingness to spend have any effect at all on what a team ahead of the Mets will do?
Are you suggesting that if a team knows the Mets wont spend a few picks later, that cash somehow suddenly appears for that team to know take the better player?
I’ve read in some places that agents will tell teams drafting high how difficult it will be to sign their player as a way of scaring them off. These teams pass, with the player SLIPPING to a team later that will meet their demands.
Form an agent’s perspective, that strategy seems like a way to ensure getting money and playing, instead of having a contract dispute resulting in no contract. Let’s face it, no one really wins when a player goes back into the draft.
He’s saying that if the Mets were thought to be paying big money for a draft pick, say if they pick 7th, then one of the top couple of guys will say he wants more money, and picks 1-6, if small market teams, won’t pay that big money he’s requesting, and won’t draft him.
So really, all the Mets have to do is sign one guy for well over slot, and leak that they will do it again.
Or, we could correct the beyond stupidly corrupt system, just another place the Yankees can and do use their financial advantage to try to buy championships, and actually make it fair.
But that theory suggests that the Mets are the end all of big market teams, which we are not. We are only 1 of a bunch of other big market clubs. I have a hard time buying your theory that if the Mets wont spend that the agent is just going to then settle for less. There are always other big market clubs picking behind the Mets like the Yankees, Sox, Dodgers, Angels etc. If agents were realy operating the way you are suggesting, the Mets willingness to spend would not have an impact.
Personally, I think it’s rare that it does have an impact, I’m just laying out the theory.
It depends on where those above-slot teams are drafting, and if they have an interest in a player. these things all get worked out to death, so if the Mets are looking for a RF but the other teams willing to bid above slot are looking for a pitcher or a catcher, maybe the interest isn’t as high in the first round.
Next year is where it may make a difference because the Mets have a higher pick due to Manuel’s mismanaging and their injuries.
Exactly, barrylyons. In the context of the current draft and how it works, that statement makes no sense.
When I first read that a few weeks ago, I questioned the statement (though not under the original post as Matt had closed comments for it by the time I saw it).
If a player is going to ask for more, what the Mets do is irrelevant since supposedly, according to the Mets critics, every other team in baseball, if not all, are willing to go over slot. So that prospect theoretically will have plenty of takers if he is any good.
Sounded to me like just more dumping and piling on the Mets and their farm system when they are down. If they won the WS this year, half of the crap being spewed out there wouldn’t see the light of day.
And all the knocks on the Mets draft spending dismiss the one clear obvious reason like its nothing, and thats the Mets lack of early picks the past few years.
Of course the Pirates are going to spend, they Pick in the top 5 every single year, they are bound to average spending the most. Those early picks just get paid no matter what. Then the Pelfrey example, how we havent spent big since we siged Pelfrey in 2005, conveniently leaving out that that was the last time we even had a first round pick, let alone a pick that high. 2008 was the only other year we even had first round picks and the spending that year was fine.
Then of course the Yankees are used as an example, but is that right? The Yankees are not a fair comparison to us for anything financially. Its just another world what they do in all aspects of spending.
And for the whol ’slot’ nonsense, I dont see any of the fan who are now clamoring over Ike Davis complaining that he was signed at slot. Why is that? Shouldnt the Mets have picked some other higher level talent who was looking for more than Davis? Surely that would have been the smarter pick right?
Could the Mets spend more, sure, and maybe they should be, but IMO this whole bashing of the Mets draft strategy is just way way over blown at this point.
Im not really understanding where your arguments are coming from? Are you suggesting that the Mets approach to the draft is the best approach?
Going over slot is not about the first round. Its about the 5th round. Its about drafting a guy who is commited to a top baseball college and saying “I’ll give you $1 million” to change your mind. Its about taking a guy who would otherwise have been a top 10 pick and getting him in the later rounds.
Forget the first round. Go take a look at how many 7 figure deals other teams have given to players outside of the first round. Then you will find who the true spenders are.
The Mets on the other hand are notorious from walking away from top talents over differences as small as $100k.
I can’t speak for barrylyons, but I think he is saying there is a lot of exaggeration going on about the Mets and their draft strategy. They may not be the model to follow, but they are certainly getting an unfair amount of criticism for the money they do spend.
Their poor farm system has more to do with poor strategy (ie, not being able to offer arbitration to their creaky old vets to get picks back) and poor selections than penny pinching in the draft.
Per round, in terms of where in the draft they do pick, the Mets are about average in their spending. There are some big market teams that do not spend significantly more than the Mets. This was shown in a chart that Toby Hyde did after this year’s draft.
Well sir, in this case you are allowed to speak for me, since you basically explained it exactly how I would have.
Like you said, i’m not saying the Mets do everything perfectly, just say there is alot of piling on, and selective examples being presented to exxagerate the points bashing the Mets.
Yes, but now you are talking about 5-7 teams that might be a match instead of 30 teams. Now assume there are 5-7 guys like that in every draft class who want the big bucks. One of those top talents will slip to you in a later round.
No prospect is going to drop above-slot demands just because the Mets may be conservative with the money. Why should he if the Red Sox, Yankees and all the other supposedly big spenders are willing to go over slot?
The premise doesn’t make any sense.
Yes exactly my point. The theory that people are trying to lay out here is almost suggesting that the Mets are the only big market team. Like you are pointing out, there are always there other big spending teams (everyone but the Mets apparently) willing to drop the cash who will again have picks that follow the Mets.
Uh…Omar would rather have late picks then early. It probably is because he has no idea how to identify top talent.
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