Boras may have just blown up the draft afterall...

[DPMOmaha]

But I'm not sure if it's going to happen the way he intended it to.

There's been a lot of conversation about changes that need to happen to the draft.  There are other articles out there but Jason Starks' has some things that seem to make a lot of sense to me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=4407622

- SLOTTING -- Baseball is now the only major sport that doesn't have some sort of system that regulates how much drafted players can get paid. And that can't go on. Not just because the clubs want slotting, either. It's because players want it. We've polled a bunch of them. And big-league players want those $15-million deals going to them, not to kids who have never played a professional baseball game.

- TRADING PICKS -- Now here's a concept the union is in favor of. So it seems just about inevitable that this is a new draft wrinkle that's coming soon. If you have the first pick and you don't want the price tag that comes with Stephen Strasburg, or you don't want the migraine that comes from dealing with Scott Boras, you pick him anyway and then dangle him on the open market.

- WORLDWIDE DRAFT -- We're not sure if this on-again, off-again idea will ever fly. But it's gaining momentum again, because it needs to. A system that allows the Yankees and Red Sox to outspend everybody on any player they really want, with no limits whatsoever, doesn't serve anyone except the Yankees and Red Sox. Whether baseball can figure out a way to navigate all the unique laws and circumstances of every country with a baseball talent pool is a massive question. But we now sense more interest in getting those international signings under control than we've sensed in years.

- THE CONTROL ROOM -- Another idea that's been building steam beneath the surface is a way for teams to wriggle out of the embarrassment of being held hostage by 17-year-old high school kids. What some people in the sport would like to see is a draft system similar to the hockey draft, which would allow any team picking a high school player to control that player's rights through his college years.

I don't know about the trading of picks and the worldwide draft seems like a pretty sticky wicket, but the player control option for high school kids and the slotting system seem to make a lot of sense to me.  We'll see if any of these make it through the CBA, but it seems as though there's momentum for some change. 

[JMW IV]

owners have been sick of Boras and his antics for years, and now the players are getting pissed too.

say hello to strict Draft-slotting and/or trading picks.

that's the way to go.

[DPMOmaha]

I just think that it's funny that his goal was to completely destroy the draft and the result is going to be that the make it worse for his pocket book, not better.  Funny how things work out sometimes.  The owners are so scared of him they're going to hamstring him as much as possible.

[BBQ]

Boras is trash

[houston-nat]

It's funny. This draft is a case in point: I always expect the very worst from Boras, but then he just does his job well and gets it over with. Starting to hate him a lot less than I should.

[Blueliner]

Trading picks is something that is long overdue.  Say for example, the Nationals didn't want to pay the money for Stras.  If the Nationals could have gotten a Ditka-like deal for the pick, they would be stupid not to trade it.

Since this board is filled with idiots, I mean, Redskins fans, you should know what Ditka-like deal means.  If not, google Ricky Williams trade.

And yes, baseball and football are different.  But if the Nationals could have gotten 2-3 prospects already at AA, that would be much better than wasting the draft pick.

And yes, I know Stras signed.  Just using this as an example as to why they should allow the trading of draft picks.

[Blueliner]

Not much of a hockey fan but doesn't that Control Room idea, work for hockey?  It benefits both college and the NHL team.

[DPMOmaha]

yes.

[HalfSmokes]

Not a chance of slotting. No way the MLBPA agrees to it without something in return. Stark says

And big-league players want those $15-million deals going to them, not to kids who have never played a professional baseball game.  

Do you think owners will agree to the corresponding salary floor? The MLBPA is a little more astute than the other unions, I can't see them limiting salary without some guarantee the savings will flow to its members and not into profits.