I know there's been talk of them. Maybe they're needed, maybe they're not.

Here's an alternative view:
If we have TC PP, the draft should be shortened. As it stands, you're not getting a player that will make the bigs after the 6th round. I've had one 6th rounder in 50+ seasons make the bigs without a DITR. He's a long reliever who has thrown 235 BL innings in 8 pro seasons. Because of this, I've stopped signing pitchers I draft after the 10th round. If I need minor league fodder, I just sign training camp pitchers. It doesn't save me a lot of bonus money but it saves some. I sign all my position draftees because they're needed to fill minor league rosters. If/when we get TC PP, I'll probably start doing the same thing with them.

So, if WifS institutes the long anticipated TC PP, I see no reason to have a draft of 25 rounds.

Thoughts?

agreed. i've been craving tc position players for a long time. wis said they were gonna make em available.

to me, it encourages and makes it easier for people to not neglect/abuse their minor leagues. just like tc pitchers do.

short dough and your rosters will all be full and cheap replacements are there too.

What's the harm of keeping the draft at 25 rounds?

If you don't want to sign anybody past the 10th round, then don't. But I don't see a valid reason for shortening the draft just because we get TC PP.

the only lower level draft guys i'd sign would be pitchers with great stamina cause it probably costs less to keep them in your minors til they decide to retire or a defense only catcher or ss

Quote: Originally posted by tecwrg on 9/25/2009What's the harm of keeping the draft at 25 rounds?  If you don't want to sign anybody past the 10th round, then don't.  But I don't see a valid reason for shortening the draft just because we get TC PP.

I agree. The OP makes sense logically but at the same time it doesn't hurt to have extra players. In fact I'd rather have too many useless players than not enough. Why spend development resources fixing a non-problem when there are real issues for WIS to work on?

Mostly because people won't bother to sign them.

Of course, it's apparent that the subtle point of my post was missed. If we're going to be given yet more options to be lazy in signing picks, there's really no reason to make those picks. Cut the draft to 10 rounds and make the undrafted players minor league FA.

Problem is, the Tryout Camp guys are too good. No pitchers should have splits in double digits... IOW, they should be worse than 99% of draftees. If they do Tryout pos. players, that's fine with me. Just make 'em all DH/1B types with no offensive ratings in double digits.

I am not against TC PP, but I don't think cutting the draft is the trade-off answer. In worlds that require full minor league rosters, even when teams sign all of their drafts picks (for slot $), there is still a shortage.

If you cut 5, 10, 15 rounds off of the draft could be as many as 480 less players entering the league via the draft. Do we really want 500+ TC PP available?

In my 2 worlds right now we have 26 pitchers (CAPB, season 8) and 57 pitchers (NABCL, season 14) available.

Simple solution. Keep the draft at 25 rounds. Any drafted player NOT signed by the end of the year goes into the Tryout Camp for two years. If he hasn't been picked up to be Rookie/LowA fodder for two years, he gets the hint and gets a menial job.... like trucking company owner.

This will stock the Tryout Camp with some players that can be Rookie/LowA roster fillers, while maintaining the utility of the current draft (no reprogramming of the draft tool).

Well, if my suggestion of sending undrafted players into the minor league FA market immediately is applied, everyone would have the opportunity to fill their minor league rosters.

In essence, you wouldn't need to create training camp players. They'd just be minor league FA after the draft.

Except for college seniors, we're assuming the undrafted players return to school or join the National Hopscotch League or something. All we know is they never return for later drafts.

I think my suggestion opens up minor league position players FA. Some owners are going to 'tard up their minors no matter what by not signing picks. I'm suggesting giving the rest of the world the opportunity to sign the 15 more players they weren't going to sign anyway.

I always wondered why there weren't any position players. I've picked up some decent pitchers from the tryout'ers.

I demand that more attention be given to this idea!!!

i demand to see proof of 'decent pitchers' from the tryout camp lists...