2015 MLB Draft: 3 things you need to know
Details, details, details
Newly appointed commissioner Rob Manfred will usher a new wave of talent into Major League Baseball when the 2015 First-Year Player Draft begins Monday evening at MLB Network's Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J.
Pursuant to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the draft will consist of 40 rounds, with the selection order determined by the reverse order of the standings at the end of the 2014 campaign. Certain teams, however, forfeited their top picks in the draft by signing qualified free agents this winter and, conversely, other teams gained compensatory picks when they lost qualified players to free agency.
| Pick No. | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | ARI |
| 2 | HOU* |
| 3 | COL |
| 4 | TEX |
| 5 | HOU |
| 6 | MIN |
| 7 | BOS |
| 8 | CWS |
| 9 | CHC |
| 10 | PHI |
| 11 | CIN |
| 12 | MIA |
| 13 | TB |
| 14 | ATL |
| 15 | MIL |
| 16 | NYY |
| 17 | CLE |
| 18 | SF |
| 19 | PIT |
| 20 | OAK |
| 21 | KC |
| 22 | DET |
| 23 | STL |
| 24 | LAD |
| 25 | BAL |
| 26 | LAA |
*Compensation for not signing 2014 No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken
| Compensation Picks | Team |
|---|---|
| 27 | COL |
| 28 | ATL |
| 29 | TOR |
| 30 | NYY |
| 31 | SF |
| 32 | PIT |
| 33 | KC |
| 34 | DET |
| 35 | LAD |
| 36 | BAL |
| Competitive Balance A | Team |
|---|---|
| 37 | HOU (via trade with MIA) |
| 38 | COL |
| 39 | STL |
| 40 | MIL |
| 41 | ATL (via trade with SD) |
| 42 | CLE |
Unlike in years past, however, teams will now be eligible to trade 2015 draftees on the day following the conclusion of the World Series - a recent amendment to a longstanding policy prohibiting teams from trading players until 12 months after selecting them in the Rule 4 draft.
With the first overall selection ...
Much to the chagrin of the Arizona Diamondbacks, there isn't a Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg waiting to be gobbled up with the first-overall selection. Absent a consensus top choice, the Diamondbacks will likely use the first selection to address their longstanding hole at shortstop by choosing either Vanderbilt product Dansby Swanson or Alex Bregman of Louisiana State University.
A true shortstop with a future plus-hit tool, Swanson managed a .443 OBP with 14 homers and 15 stolen bases in a notoriously competitive conference this season, emerging as the best player on a college team known for graduating talent to the major leagues. According to ESPN's Keith Law, the 21-year-old projects to wield four solid-average tools, at worst, and shouldn't require too much seasoning in the minor leagues.
Bregman, meanwhile, is one of the best college bats in the country, blessed with uncanny contact skills and future average power that translated to a .962 OPS, 34 extra-base hits, and a measly 6.8 percent strikeout rate for the Tigers in 2015. There is some concern, however, about Bregman's ability to handle shortstop at the game's highest level due to his lack of range.
Related: MLB Mock Draft 2015: Predictions and slot values for every 1st-round pick
If the Diamondbacks opt to take the high-school route with the first pick, though, the club will likely decide between shortstop Brendan Rodgers - a Florida State commit - or perhaps Garrett Whitley, a toolsy center fielder from an Albany suburb who would command a much smaller percentage of the Diamondbacks' $8.6-million bonus slot.
Aching Aiken re-enters draft; Astros boast two top-5 picks
The Houston Astros were portrayed as villains last year when they drastically reduced their offer to Brady Aiken, the high-school left-hander selected first overall, amid concerns over the teenager's elbow. Shortly after their negotiations crumbled, however, the Astros were vindicated when Aiken opted for Tommy John surgery after leaving his first start for IMG Academy with soreness in his troublesome elbow.
Aiken, though, is still expected to be within the first two picks of the 2015 draft despite having his ulnar collateral ligament replaced just 10 weeks ago.
"When I decided not to sign, I knew injuries were always a possibility," Aiken wrote for the Players Tribune back in March. "Two other pitchers drafted after me in the first round last year were picked by their teams despite just having undergone Tommy John surgery. This is just a temporary setback."
(Courtesy: Brady Aiken)
Temporary setback or not, Aiken's forthcoming signing bonus won't come close to what he was offered from the Astros last summer as concern persists over the long-term health of his elbow. According to Fangraphs' Kiley McDaniel, Aiken's medicals continues to be closely protected, with only certain teams receiving access to the information. Though Aiken still wields plenty of upside, one scouting director recently characterized the situation as "too volatile to predict right now."
As compensation for "failing" to sign Aiken, the Astros received the second overall selection in the 2015 draft, affording them two picks within the first five selections. The Astros also wield the first pick (37th overall) in the inaugural Competitive Balance round.