MLB Draft Rules

[anticheese]

Does anyone know where to find the complete rules of the MLB draft? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Marc]

I wasn't able to find anything at all on Google, did anyone else have better luck?

Welcome, though!

[Brandon]

I don't have a real chance to look, but I can give you a simple rundown...

1. Only US players (College, HS, whatever) are eligible. (Canada, I'm not sure of, I would say not.

2. Have to be graduating HS at least. Basically, 18.

3. No trading of the draft picks.

4. 55 or so rounds. Although it has been shortened in recent years...

5. Free agent signings are compensated by the team signing the player giving up their draft pick according to the free agents rank (or not at all). Also, certain free agent defections are also compensated by sandwhich rounds between the normal ones.

For example. Atlanta lost Tom Glavine. They got the Mets pick in the first round, plus a supplemental pick in between the first and second rounds. Billy Beane has used these details to perfection in the past couple years.

That's just a basic rundown which comes from my mind at almost 3 AM. Sorry if it isn't clear or concise or whatever. Hope it helps somewhat. I'm sure somebody or myself will find them eventually.

[lmanchur.]

Brandon.... Canadian players are elidgeable for the draft... We had TWO players picked in the top 10 in the 2002 draft (the highest Canadian drafted this year was from London, ON (woo hoo!!) at 148 overall). One of Canada's top 10 picks last year recently signed with a team.... dang, I forget what team... right before this year's draft.

I suppose some of those 'Nucks that were picked could've been playing in US Colleges but for some reason I don't think all or none of them were...

[Brandon]

Yeah, sorry Lee. My original post assumed they did. But then I got a brain cramp at 3 AM and changed it for some reason.

I remember those two getting drafted last year though. My mistake. Doh!

[Marc]

And, speaking of the MLB draft, here's an interesting exerpt from this week's Jester's Quart:

Baseball's draft is sort of a sham. It fails the most basic of tests, which is that no player can get up and say, "I'm proud to be a (team name here)." The fact is that no draftee can correctly say "I'm proud to be a Giant" or "I'm proud to be a Cub," right? In actuality, they're proud to be a Single-A ball Salem-Keizer Volcano, or a Lansing Lugnut.

Baseball's other major draft flaw is the sheer number of picks made. There are about 300,000 rounds, ensuring anyone who's ever put on a glove and isn't already in the minors gets selected. Yours truly was selected 945,137th overall, by the Twins.

(C'mmmmmmon, contraction ... )

Really a great explanation of why the MLB draft is so unpopular.

[catman]

In football and basketball, a team drafts players that they know will be in their lineup within a year or 2. Baseball players take much longer to develop. A GM of a team once said that he was happy if a couple of players would make it through the minors to the big club every year.
Latin players are not drafted, but they must be 16 years old when they sign their first contract. After the 9/11 crackdown, we found out that some of the Latin players are older than they said they were.
Baseball has a well-developed minor league system, something that football and basketball lack (although NFL Europe and Arena Football are coming along).
There isn't much information available from the Commissioner's office on the workings of the draft, but Baseball America has annual draft issues. You might want to search their site for the rules.

[kilbury23]

I was wondering if anyone knew anything about entering the MLB draft...

[catman]

I understand that in order to enter the baseball draft, you must be out of high school (if you are a US or Canadian citizen), or be at least 16 years old.
You must be either in your 3rd or 4th year of college eligibility (which is why some players are drafted 3 times). I don't think there is a maximum age for consideration.
Talk to your coaches about being drafted.
Good luck.

[kilbury23]

so do u think at the age of 17 could I infact enter the draft before i go to college? Im trying to play baseball in college but i want to see how things are with the draft before i go. If i had the chance to sign a contract i would take that over playin in college. If anyone knows how i could enter the draft this next year let me know.

[themush]

I don't know if you actually "declare" yourself for the MLB draft I think teams draft you and own the rights to you until you decided to sign or not. Buddy of mine pitches for the Devil Rays I'll ask him later, they are on thier way to D.C.

[kilbury23]

thanks alot that would be cool, cuz thats what im trying to do is declare to all the teams that im in the draft... Idk if ill get picked but im trying to get into anyway

[kilbury23]

i dont really know much about all that drafting stuff.... But ive been playing baseball sence i was 3 and i think i have what it takes to at least get to the AA and start from there and make it up to the majors. Anyone with any information on how i could get drafted would help alot... Thanks

[catman]

Like I said, check with your coaches. They should be able to give you some good advice in this area. I wish you the best. I always wanted to play professionally, but my lack of bat-speed would not allow me to do so.