If anyone has a baseball america subscription than please post the totals of the signing bonus numbers for all 30 teams. The top three are over 7 million through ten rounds and the Stros are last at a little over 500k, the team before us is 1.2 million We did not spend jack on this draft when we need to be bringing in as much talent as possible
I'm glad being clever is really working out for you. The fact is that the Astros could've added talent through the draft and help shore up their shortcomings in the minors. They failed to sign anyone higher than the 5th round, which means they got the 171st best player and beyond. They cheaped out, defend the lack of money spent all you'd like and tell me how neither Dietrich, Eibner or Jones would've made it to the big show, I'm sure you'll spend the day trying to think of something clever.
We're a losing ballclub now and Drayton is still raking it in hand over fist, so winning or losing really doesn't hurt his bottom line this year. Not when he can gimmick his way to more money from our pockets to his wallet. Fact of the matter is that if the team doesn't improve next season, then losing will be bad for his bottom line.
Agreed! Another fact is that somehow or another they blew it. Drafted the wrong guys, whatever. Do you know this for a fact? What were the guys asking for? See, if the Astros *truly* lowballed these guys, then I'm just as irritated about it as anyone. But generally around here and elsewhere, whenever Astros fans don't get what they want they scream, "DRAYTON IS SO CHEAP!!!!!!!". It's like the default war cry of the undereducated fan (well, joined by the newer "Poopoora is FAT!!!!1!"), and it's simply inaccurate. When one doesn't know what all went down, it's stupid to dogmatically state the failure is because the Astros are cheap. Especially in the face (again, and as always) of a pile of examples to the contrary. No, thanks. I'm frustrated about it, too. But I know the failure is not because "Drayton is cheap". And, if that's all you're going to offer, then smartass remarks are all your posts on the subject merit. Thanks for the ad hominem. I spent about 90 seconds on this post. I spent about 2.5 seconds on the other. We disagree. I think your take is blatantly stupid in the face of other evidence, you probably think my take is myopic. Fine. Let's tear down one another's arguments all day, but keep it there.
Im not sure how a draft could possibly be worse than not having a 1st and a 2nd and then not signing your 3rd and 4th. If these players demands were outrageous (ala the LSU signee), then why did we draft them in the early rounds? Mind boggling.
we probably spent less than $2 million on our entire draft. we probably will end up with a top 10 pick, which means slot for the #10 pick will be $2 million next year. if lamb and loretta leave, we will get supplemental 1st rounders i believe (i grade them as type B free agents). that's $750,000 each right there. then we will have our 2nd rounder. $500,000. our 3rd rounder will be $350,000 and we get another supplemental 3rd rounder for not signing dietrich, which is $200,000. 4th rounder is another $200,000. Drayton is looking at spending close to $5 million for the first 5 rounds next year. let's hope he saves the money he didnt spend this year and puts it to good use next year. guys i would be looking at for next year are.... SS Brandon Crawford 5 tool middle infielder from UCLA who would really boost our farm system. 1B Justin Smoak Lance Berkman v.2 from South Carolina. Would probably demand above slot value due to being the #2 college player (Pedro Alvarez is #1 and is represented by Scott Boras) OF Jordan Danks Has tremendous power potential, even though he hasn't shown it at UT. Even if his power doesn't develop, he can play CF or RF and bat leadoff where he has plus speed and knows how to draw walks. If he hits for power, he's a top 15 pick. If he doesn't, maybe we can get him in the sandwich round. RHP Tyson Ross 6'5 pitcher from Cal with excellent potential. RHP Jacob Thompson 6'6 with good command. Has good stuff as well If we could get Crawford with our 1st pick and Danks with our sandwich pick, that would really boost our system.
I know that. I was referring to the 3rd and 4th round draft choices and their demands. If the 3rd and 4th round picks' demands were outrageous relative to their slot (like the LSU signee), then why did we draft them?
Organization Bonus Total Baltimore Orioles $7,672,500 Washington Nationals $7,619,300 New York Yankees $7,432,500 Detroit Tigers $7,305,250 Tampa Bay Devil Rays $7,172,000 San Francisco Giants $7,027,000 Toronto Blue Jays $6,290,500 Texas Rangers $6,102,500 San Diego Padres $5,763,500 Kansas City Royals $5,618,400 Arizona Diamonbacks $4,946,000 Chicago Cubs $4,932,250 Cincinnati Reds $4,352,250 Pittsburgh Pirates $4,162,900 Atlanta Braves $4,047,950 Seattle Mariners $4,034,800 Oakland Athletics $3,944,900 St. Louis Cardinals $3,781,000 Boston Red Sox $3,505,500 Colorado Rockies $3,393,000 Los Angeles Dodgers $3,337,250 New York Mets $3,328,800 Philadelphia Phillies $3,312,000 Florida Marlins $3,228,750 Milwaukee Brewers $3,177,700 Chicago White Sox $2,444,550 Cleveland Indians $2,271,800 Minnesota Twins $1,837,000 Los Angeles Angels $1,291,600 Houston Astros $536,000
that $536,000 total is for the first 10 rounds...we ranked last in TOTAL bonuses at around $1.2 million for the entire draft.
I was responding to your quote that they don't want to build a winning club. It's such a silly statement that it required response. We're a losing ballclub for only the 2nd time in over a decade. Outside of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves, every other club in baseball would kill to have our record. I'm not saying this draft wasn't just bad for the Astros. It sucks royally that the top 2 picks they made didn't get signed. Just don't give me this crap that they don't want to win or to try an build for the future.
John Manuel is doing a chat right now, I asked about his thoughts on the Astros: "I think they frankly did very badly. It's a bad system that did not help itself in the draft virtually at all. It does sound like, in their defense, one or more of those players changed up on the Astros and asked for more than slot money after agreeing earlier to sign for slot. That puts the Astros in a tough spot. To me, though, clubs have to recognize that this is about investments, and with such a low investment up front ($500k on this draft), the Astros will be lucky to have much in terms of future returns." http://www.baseballamerica.com/chat/chat.php?id=2007081701&rnd=2#bottom
So what do you call it? You build a winner through the draft. Unless we're the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers and Angels (who throw money around) thats the only way the Astros can compete. The one year they don't have a first or second round pick, they fail to sign their third and fourth. What statement does that make to the fans? Their demands were too high, so we showed them and refused to sign them? Come on, I know you're as big a fan as I am, maybe even more, but if they decided not to go over slot for the sake of staying within the 90% less that MLB teams wanted all teams to, then that truly sucks and smells of frugality.
Common ground, is that you? I haven't been one of the fans screaming Drayton is cheap, or Purpura is fat (especially since it has nothing to do with his job). I was disappointed last year that they didn't go out and get a slugger when they needed one. This last offseason they got Lee, which thus far has proved to be a great acquisiton. This past season the Astros have made a couple of moves that all smell of saving money: Trading for Wigginton, because he's cheaper than Lamb. I take nothing from Wigginton, but he is comparable to Lamb, only cheaper and under control for longer. Trading Morgan Ensberg to the Padres for a PTBNL or cash. This transaction has yet to be completed, but money seems to be the most likely return for Ensberg. Not offering arbitration for Pettitte, Clemens and Springer. Drayton is on record as saying that he didn't offer arbitration for fear that it would be accepted and that we'd be stuck with said players. Did he really think he could sign any of the above for less than what arbitration would have been? It may not be the sole reason, but it is a contributing factor. You are myopic, your post says it all. Where else was it going besides here? Did you want to meet somewhere and rumble? Get your panties out of a wad and learn to deal with the fact that people have different opinions.
