Someone please explain arbitration and draft picks to me?

[CharlotteBrave]

Man... I'm so confused. I've always kind of just accepted what I've been told regarding picks and Type A and Type B free agents, but never really thought about what it all meant. So can someone please tell me where I'm wrong?

My assumptions Regarding the Draft:

Assuming no team has made any trades whatsoever, every team has a first and second round pick. There is also no supplemental first round, since nothing has happened. Picks go backwords in order of where the team finished in the league record was. (Worst team gets first pick, etc)

Free Agent Assumptions:

If a Type A free agent is signed, that said team forfeits it's 1st and 2nd round picks to the team the agent was on. The 2nd round pick moves to the top of the order, and becomes part of the "supplemental" first round. (This doesn't sound logical, but still, it's how I picture it). Not sure about Type B or C FAs.

Arbitration:

If a player accepts arb, then that team does not lose or gain picks, but that team is required to pay the agent what the arbitrator decides.

Regarding the Braves:

They start with the normal 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc round picks... Now let's look at their FAs.

Gonzo (Type A): Denies arb, Braves get 2 first round picks (1 first round, 1 supplemental)

Wagner (Type B): Braves lose a single first round pick?

Soriano (Type A): Accepts arb. Nothing happens regarding picks.

LaRoche (Type B): Didn't offer of Arb, so it's irrelevant wrt draft picks.

That tells me that the Braves will lose a first round from Wagner, but get two from Gonzo, which means that they will still have their normal first round choice (# pick is dependent on where Gonzo signs), and they also get a supplemental from Gonzo.

Someone please help me understand!! :confused:

[Andy G.]

The team that signs a Type A free agent doesn't actually lose two picks. They only lose their first round pick. That pick goes to the team the free agent was on.

The second pick received by the team that lost a Type A guy is in the supplemental round, but that doesn't come from the other team. Those picks are simply awarded to the teams that lose Type A and Type B free agents, and they take place after the first round and before the second round.

If a team is going to have one of the top fifteen picks in the draft, their first rounder is protected. They will not lose their first rounder if they sign a Type A free agent. Instead, they'll forfeit their second round pick to the team that had the free agent previously, and of course that team would also receive a pick in the supplemental round.

If a player is a Type B free agent, his previous team only gets a "sandwhich" pick between the first and second rounds.

Billy Wagner was a Type A, by the way. So the Braves signed one Type A and will lose a Type A in Gonzalez. That means we forfeit our first round pick to Boston, but will get a first round pick(or second rounder depending on if their pick is protected) from whoever signs Gonzalez and will also receive a pick in the supplemental round.

Type A Compensation = First round pick(unless it's protected) and sandwich pick. (Remember the sandwich pick does not come from the other team, it is just rewarded to any team that loses a Type A or Type B free agent)

Type B Compensation = Sandwich pick.

I hope that helps.

[Agent-X-]

Man... I'm so confused. I've always kind of just accepted what I've been told regarding picks and Type A and Type B free agents, but never really thought about what it all meant. So can someone please tell me where I'm wrong?

My assumptions Regarding the Draft:

Assuming no team has made any trades whatsoever, every team has a first and second round pick. There is also no supplemental first round, since nothing has happened. Picks go backwords in order of where the team finished in the league record was. (Worst team gets first pick, etc)

Some additional helpful information: Unlike the NFL, draft picks can not be traded in MLB. So regardless of trades, the only way a team loses a draft pick is through signing arbitration eligible free agents who have been offered arbitration.

There is one other slightly sneaky way teams can [sort of] facilitate a draft pick trade, and that's through trading a 'player to be named later' [PTBNL]... I don't believe that happens hardly ever, though.