Pirates Nab 2nd Pick in Competitive Balance Draft

One of the changes to the CBA is a convoluted Competitive Balance Draft for which the MLB just doled out picks for the 2013 iteration, the first of its kind.  The picks in Round A of this draft will come at the end of the supplemental first round, so essentially a supplemental supplemental first round.

The supplemental round usually ends around pick 55-60, but changes have also come about that lessen the ability to secure those compensation picks with would-be free agents so that could and should cut that round leading to the Competitive Balance Draft Round A likely being in that 55-60 range.

I know that’s a confusing sentence, but the general point is that with the Mark Appel compensation pick, their own first round pick and this CBD pick, the Pirates should have three picks within no worse than the top 65.  In other words, a great position to be in especially for a team in contention this year.  One additional wrinkle to these CBD picks is that they can be dealt.  With two guaranteed picks, including a top 10 pick from Appel, the Pirates may be inclined to deal the CBD pick in a deadline deal if allows them to keep the blue chip arms and still secure a major piece.

We’ve never seen the ability to trade draft picks in the major leagues so it is hard to know how teams will value them via trade, but it is a safe bet that they would have significant value.  While many think the CBD is silly and unnecessarily complicated, there is no denying that is greatly benefited the Pirates in its debut.