I don't know that you can relate a poor farm system to losing when you're talking about a market like Chicago, since free agency allows you to buy players who are better than any you could acquire in trade. But I do firmly believe a top farm system provides the stepping stones to future success, be that as players or trade bait.

Anyway....it was an embarrassing remark for ChiSox fans.

Except the Whitesox have no had much luck with free agency signings, they will be trying to live down the Dunn signing for years.

The worst part is that they have been in the Top 5 in salary for the past 8 years. Not only do they have a bad farm system, they can't seem to evaluate and pay properly for experienced ballplayers.

This is interesting. The Oakland A's have signed Yoenis Cespedes to a 4 year deal.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Yoenis-Cespedes-Oakland-As-four-year-contract-021312

Speaking of Adam Dunn...

I read a Q&A with Ozzie Guillen. He said that on the first day of spring training last year Dunn did his batting practice and the hitting coach came over to Ozzie and said "We have a problem." lol

"The White Sox are headed for many years of last place. Think Astros, but worst. They are run terribly"

sounds like a good time to throw a lowball offer for Danks :) say Harrison, Font and Borbon?

Did you hear Josh Lewin will be back to baseball as the Mets play by play guy this season?

Kinda bums me out. I am happy for him, but will miss his show.

I couldn't stand him at first, but he began to grow on me as time passed. I also wouldn't have minded seeing him come back our way.

I am NOT watching the Mets!! x( good luck Josh, hope you enjoy youur new boss in 2013 :|

I'm not sure many Mets fans will be watching either.lol

Let's all hope the ChiSox are pitiful. The Rangers open the season against them.

Posted Feb. 20, 2012 11:05 am by Jim Callis
Filed under: Draft Dope

As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are now assigned an aggregate signing bonus pool for their picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. Each has a predetermined value, from $7.2 million for the No. 1 choice to $125,000 for pick No. 300 and any subsequent .

Raul Ibanez has agreed to a contract with the Yankees, all but finalizing the draft order. Derrek Lee is the lone potential compensation free agent remaining on the market, but he won't generate a compensation pick if he signs a minor league deal, as expected. Unless Lee gets a major league contract, the aggregate bonus pools below are set in stone.

The pools range from $12,368,200 for the Twins (who own the No. 2 choice and added three selections for the loss of free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel) to $1,645,700 for the Angels (who forfeited their first two picks to sign free agents Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson).

<http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2012/02/2012-aggregate-bonus-pools/

While it has its merits, I think this will hurt more teams than help. Business as usual for the new CBA.

Frankly, I'm surprised the MLBPA allowed it in the new CBA. Capping monies on rookies won't help increase ML salaries, since higher prices on unproven talent means greater salaries for proven veteran players. Josh Hamilton stated, as do others, that he'll demand top dollar so other's after him will have a higher ceiling. It seems to me it works the same way with these draftees. Maybe I'm wrong. And Lord knows the MLB salaries are already too high.

On thing though....it puts a new spin on drafting and free agent signings. Any team going over their allotment has a 75% tax, which means those free agents are now even more expensive.

I probably don't know enough about this to make these assumptions, but this is pretty important stuff.

Take a team like the Halos who have a weak farm system already. Now the Pujols and Wilson signing not only lost them their 1st round picks, but the restrictions on draftee bonus money is either going to cost them in talent (if they can't select or sign players they want) or cost them millions for the draft luxury tax.

The Angels 1st pick should come at #77 (if my math is right). Last year, the slot for #77 was $472,000. Being that $472k is a little more than 1/4th of the "bonus pool," it's going to be hard to sign their remaining picks (especially the remaining 7 of the top-10 rounds).

If they go over that slot, they're in trouble. If they go over that slot by a lot, say goodbye to any decent farm system over the next decade for the Angels. Let's all hope the Angels either:

draft a great player who demands a lot over slot, or
draft a weaker player who will sign for about slot.

Either way it's a win.

The first year is going to be tough on the teams and the players being drafted.

I think for the Draft, they should allow each team to spend X amount of dollars.

If they don't spend all of it then 50% of their under amount could be carried over to the next year, this gives more incentive to teams to spend their whole amount then to just build up a reserve or just pocket the money.

If they go over the amount in a given year, then twice the amount they go over is deducted from the next year. If they keep going over, then sooner or later they may not have any money to spend on the draft.

The Rangers acquired lefty Kelvin De La Cruz from the Indians, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Indians received cash considerations, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. De La Cruz was designated for assignment a week ago to open a 40-man roster spot for Casey Kotchman. The Rangers currently have an open 40-man spot they can use for De La Cruz.

De La Cruz, 23, posted a 4.19 ERA, 9.9 K/9, 6.0 BB/9, and 0.31 HR/9 in 86 Double-A innings last year, his second stint at the level. A year ago, Baseball America ranked him 24th among Indians prospects, citing diminished stuff after an '09 elbow strain. De La Cruz dropped out of BA's Indians top 30 this year and will be a project for the Rangers.

wow head for cover if this guy ever enters the game!! looks like he's got HORRID control issues

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Edited 2/21/2012 9:52 pm by knowname