By forensicane
Prospects; Photo from the Nationals
This year, the draft brings greater challenges to signing players drafted between rounds 11-15. For those with remaining eligibility, the 125K cap is a test. Does the college eligible player believe that by going back, he’ll get a bigger payday? Bryan Montes de Oca did, and he was drafted in the ninth round by the Mets and got a 152 thousand dollar payday. Was it worth it? He lost a year for a bit more money. Now, post COVID, he has only started pitching in the minors at age 25, and is showing up well in A+. Mack Lemieux, on the other hand, was a JUCO when the Nationals drafted him in Round 14 in 2015. He did not sign, but when drafted the next year by Arizona in Round 6, he did. That’s a good case scenario of betting on one’s self, and Lemieux is now in AA and steadily building on lower minor successes. The scales are further tipped with players now being able to earn money for endorsements if they can be a BMOC, especially in a college-centric sports town. Major league baseball has not yet adjusted to the ramifications of the new NCAA earning rules, and it will be interesting to see how this affects the 11-15 signability. Continue reading
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