In 2008, 24 players were offered arbitration.  This year’s landscape is quite similar, with 23 players receiving offers.  10 of the players are Type A free agents and 13 are Type B.

Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse describes what the Type distinctions mean in a succinct manner.

If a team signs a Type A free agent, its first-round pick goes to the former team — unless that pick is in the top 15, in which case a second-round pick goes to the former team. The former team also gets an extra pick between the first and second rounds.

If a team loses a Type B free agent, it gets an extra “sandwich” pick.

One more thing to add: The team that signs a Type B free agent does not lose a pick, whereas if that same team signed a Type A free agent, the team would lose a pick as stated above.

I have a client/friend who was drafted out of high school in the 2006 draft by Tampa Bay. He turned down their offer a has just finished two years at Junior College racking up a National Championship and a MVP award for the entire country. He held the number once spot on the rotation at his junior college, the number 2 pitcher drafted this past year in the 3^rd round and signed. This coming fall he is enrolled at an NAIA School and his goal is to finish a year there then enter the draft that spring. My question for you is what would be a reasonable expectation for a draft round? I know this would largely depend on his performance this coming year, but I would love some insight.

-Adam Stowe

Adam,

Stats end up often being fairly insignificant when trying to gauge amateur draft positioning.  Many JC and college teams have starters who are great college players and go undrafted, while I’ve heard of guys pitching less than 20 innings in a draft year, and still going in the first three rounds. (injury, off-field issues, etc.) The best barometer tends to be how many cross-checkers/scouting directors are showing up at your client’s games.  The fact that he went undrafted after being the #1 starter on a National Championship team is probably not a great sign, but each situation is different.  Make sure that he is clearly conveying his desire to play pro ball to scouts, as it can only help his stock.

I am currently a first year law student at John Marshall Law School in Chicago, and am attempting to pursue a career in athlete representation. I work as a paralegal in a medical malpractice defense currently, but played baseball in college.  Do you have any advice regarding the best and most efficient ways to make contacts with people in the business, other than knowing a player or agent already? One of my best friends plays for the Delmarva Shorebirds right now in the Orioles organization, and another plays for an independent league team here in Illinois, the Rockford Riverhawks, but I was just wondering if you encourage people to go to symposiums and conferences around the country (especially considering I am a 23 year old law school student with limited funds!)? Also, did you do any internships for sports teams or other agencies before becoming certified? Is that something you look for when hiring potential agents or lawyers? Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions and help out in any way, it is greatly appreciated. I look forward to receiving your answers.

-Christopher T. Scolire

Christopher,

I lucked into a client who was playing in AAA, as I had a connection with his family.  I’ve often been asked the best way to break into the business, and it really is as much of a mystery to me now as it was twelve years ago, when I got started.  You have two things that play very strongly in your favor…the fact that you have played in college will give you a good common bond while recruiting in homes, which was something that I lacked when I was starting out.  Going to law school is also essential, as it really separates you from the field in such a competitive industry.  When we look to make a hire, we don’t consider applicants unless they either went to law school or played baseball professionally.  Paul and I made a number of bad hires over the years, and have found that these two things, while not a sure sign of success by any means, is at least a start in the right direction.  If we are hiring ex-players, they are always guys that we have represented.  After spending time with a person for many years, it’s a lot easier to have a grasp on how his personality will play as an agent.  Jon Pridie works with us, and does a great job.  He has been one of my best friends for years, and our personal relationship was the basis for us working together.  I understood his work ethic and personality traits well before he came to work with us.

I did not intern or work for another company before I started in this business.  I attribute whatever success Paul and I have to an incredible amount of hours worked, and a very significant amount of luck.  We are good agents, but there are a lot of good agents.  I didn’t marry until this last year, and work was a large part of why I was single until 39.  Most well adjusted woman are looking for a husband who works less than seven days a week, and that is really reasonable.  I was able to take a small step back over the last couple of years, but only after we had a healthy business base, which took more than ten years to grow.

Any baseball conferences you can attend can only help.  I have heard that people who start on the team side have been able to make forays into the agent business with added credibility.  In the past, I’ve been hesitant to advise people to go full force into this business, as the success rate is so low.  But given the fact that Paul and  I now have a viable, sustainable business, I also understand that if it worked out for two bums like us, it can work out for anyone.  Use your connections with players as a way to meet other players.  The vast majority of pro clients that we add are done so through word of mouth.  Good luck!

When your establishing a new agency, do you recommend recruiting young rookies and helping develop them into professionals, or do you go straight after established professionals? What type of strategies did you use to sign your first established professional?

-Tristan Knell

Tristan,

Going after established MLB players is almost impossible, unless you have a preexisting relationship with the player.  Most players are not going to switch from an established agent to a new company, as it takes years for an agent to know the key employees (GMs, Scouting Directors) with teams, and to understand the endorsement side of the business.  It’s a huge risk for the player with much less downside than upside.

The main reason that I chose baseball is that I considered it almost an impossibility for me to break into football or basketball.  I rationalized that if I failed to get one of the 60 players chosen in the two rounds of the NBA draft (which was very likely) or one of the 270 players in the NFL draft, (now 210) my year of work could end up as a goose egg.  Baseball had so many rounds and so many players that I assumed that I could feel my way through the process with some of the 1300-1500 players that get drafted each year.  Having said that, my first 33 players never made it to the Major Leagues.  But at least it gave me a chance to break into the business.

Thanks again to Matt Sosnick for taking out the time to answer these questions in depth.  I asked Matt one final question that he was happy to answer.

Are there any MLB agents that stand out in your mind, for one reason or another?

The agents that stand out are the rare guys who really don’t steal other agent’s players, and seem to always do a really good job representing their own clients.   Steve Canter in L.A and Joe Bick in Ohio immediately come to mind.  Joe was one of the few guys who I felt comfortable calling for advice when I was first starting out.   Steve runs a really good business, and his players consistently sign strong deals.  Certainly two guys who are in it for their players first.

Best of luck to Matt’s clients in Spring Training and in the 2009 season.

The Yankees, armed with a phenomenal pitching rotation, have spent $243.5 million on Sabathia and Burnett. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has reportedly made these deals after coming to the reality that the Yankees did not make the playoffs for the first time since ’93.

This past season with Toronto, Burnett went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA.

Ibanez is the replacement for free-agent outfielder Pat Burrell who played an instrumental role in the Phillies World Series victory. Ibanez drew interest from many other clubs including the Angels, Cubs, Braves and the Mets. Ibanez became close to ex-Phillies GM Pat Gillick while he was in Seattle.

In 2008, Ibanez batted .293, hit 23 homers, batted in 110 runs; he had a .358 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage.

Source: Philadelphia Phillies (http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081212&content_id=3715027&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi)

Anyway, check out the interview.

“Carlos is a key part of our plans for 2009, and we wanted to let him know as quickly as allowed that we wanted him back,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement.

“Yesterday — the day following the conclusion of the World Series — was the first day that we could pick up the option per the contract. It was our full intent to promptly close our deal with Carlos, and that’s what we did.”

 If the Mets would have declined the option, they would have owed Delgado $4-million as a buyout.

Playing only 41 games in Chicago after being traded from Cincinnati, Griffey now is out of a job. Rest assured, he will be picked up by someone.

In 41 games with the White Sox, Griffey scored 16 runs, had 34 hits, 3 home runs, and had a batting average of .260

In his career, Griffey has a combined batting average of .288 with 611 home runs.

I was recently asked for my take on whether a kid should sign a professional baseball contract out of high school or attend college first. Let me preface that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Each player is unique and if they are fortunate enough to have this decision to make someday, they will be playing baseball regardless of choice, which is the root of the decision.

Imagine you are one of the select few high school senior baseball players in the country, you are 18 years old, and you have the dream of playing major league baseball someday. Now imagine just being a typical teenager who always felt education continues past high school and into college. It has been said that 98% of learning on a college campus happens outside the classroom. Campus life, campus community, meeting new people, making lifelong friends, working towards a degree, maturing as a person and dealing in a new social atmosphere. Growing up within the overall college experience as a young man. You get to do this only once at this stage of life. This has value.

Now you can add in the student-athlete label. You will be part of a team that plays for a common goal. You will continue to develop as a player, a teammate, a friend. You will represent your institution, your coaches, teammates, and student body. You will be a part of the fabric of your chosen institution. This has value.

You will transition into a more independent person while having multiple support systems including your coaches, academic advisors and fellow teammates. During these 3-4 years of personal growth and development, the goal of professional baseball will still be there in most cases. The idea of being away from home will become less an issue. Time management skills will be enhanced, routines will become, “routine”, and you will be at, or near a complete college education. And you play baseball too. This has value.

Keep in mind that there are always kids who have no desire to attend college. For this article, let’s exclude them simply because they just want to play baseball only, whether they were the high school class valedictorian or barely skated by.

I chose to interview some players and/or parents of minor league rookie ball and A ball levels. One common thing they all said was that baseball is a business, and you learn that fast. Several also mentioned difficulties in filling the idle time each day when baseball wasn’t to be played or practiced. Does a rookie find a job, take extra cuts at the field, sit around watching daytime TV, take online classes? Experts in baseball, which I am not, have stated that the 8 hours each day a professional baseball player is not sleeping or playing baseball can be the difference in progressing versus regressing. College students fill that time being college students. This has value.

So what are some of the factors a high school senior, committed to a college baseball program needs to evaluate if he gets drafted and has to make a choice?

The economic term “opportunity cost” is basically the benefit foregone by making one decision over another. I am one who believes that this is the core value in the entire equation. Others may believe the theory that “it just feels right” is another basis. Let’s talk about value, then investment.

• What is the value assigned to spending 3-4 years in a college social atmosphere starting at age 18?
• What is the value of being a contributor on a college baseball team?
• What is the value of college baseball instruction?
• What is the value of a college degree? After 3 years of college?

It is difficult to assign dollars to these equations simply because each case is very unique. Some student-athletes use college mostly for its intended purpose, to get more education and a degree. Others use the college venue for baseball only to attempt to get drafted, or enhance their draft value in future years. Most juggle both aspects tremendously. These are the players proponents of the pro game say are being surpassed by their peers by spending time in college versus getting minor league instruction right after high school. They may be right in some cases, and wrong in some cases, but nobody has the correct answer.

I spoke with a few advisor/agents. If a student who holds a degree can make a $50,000 starting salary after graduation, then start with 4 years of minor league time spent instead of getting that degree, or $200,000. From there you can add the CSP(College Scholarship Plan) of approximately $20,000 per year, or another $80,000. In hard dollars the initial bonus should at least be $280,000, which according to slot recommendations start in the 3^rd/4^th rounds of the draft. The hard part, especially in a quasi-negotiation is the value of the opportunity cost mentioned. This is the amount that affects signability or the fact a kid is even drafted at all. Some blue-chip and 2^nd tier high school stars make it very clear what their respective price tags are, and these are the ones who fall down the draft boards, some even fall off of them. Were these kids wrong in drawing a line in the sand? Nobody has the correct answer.

Every year, kids opt for Rookie ball at a value to the club who selects them. They may sign for what they believe is a nice bonus, and the published amount is $25,000 as an example. This 18 year old may struggle the first summer, then be assigned another season of rookie ball, and after that 2^nd season, still struggling along, turns 20 years old and trying very hard to get advanced to the A club. His counterpart in college has completed 2 seasons of baseball and will normally be entering his Junior year and will be draft eligible again. Neither kid made a right or wrong decision. They each made their own decision. What may come next is a moment in time where each individual gets a better feel about their decisions.

If we follow this example further, assume for illustration that the college player who decided to forgo being selected or wasn’t drafted at all has had a solid 2 seasons in college baseball, performed well in summer ball, and has a super solid junior baseball season. He gets drafted and the bonus is within the value the family believes is a fair investment in the player. That player has 3 years of college under his belt, 3 years of college and summer baseball under his belt, and a very good chance he will bypass Rookie league immediately and be assigned to an A ball club. The kid who took the $25,000 may start his 3^rd pro season at the same level, has minimal money left, and no progress towards a college education.

I read a recent article about the makeup of the minor leagues. The writer stated that about 50% of the estimated 6000 players in MILB are foreign born. I bring this up to make a point: The competition is fierce, and global. The game has evolved into an international one where MLB will throw anything and everything against a wall to see what sticks. They invest in player development internationally. Their INVESTMENT in you, the player, has much to do in the college versus pro decision. The higher the initial bonus, the more chances they will give you to fail.

This leads back to value each player assigns to their respective case. Getting life changing money as a 1^st or 2^nd rounder makes the decision pretty easy for those fortunate enough to have had their talents displayed and exposed early on to the decision makers in professional baseball. It’s the next tier of high school draft eligible players who may have the tougher decision. There will always be high school players drafted who choose college regardless of the bonus amount, and there will always be players who choose pro over college regardless of the bonus amount. Nobody is right or wrong.

So why is the MLB 1^st year player draft nearly 50 rounds long for most teams? Do you think teams adding 50 new players from the United States means they have released 50 players from their respective systems? Who were these talented players, and what was their signing bonus? Did they ever attend college first? Are they ready for “the real world of work”? It is said 5% of drafted players play at least one MLB game.

So is there a right answer to college versus pro? Yes, for each individual, and no, when applying the question to each draft eligible high school player as a group. It has nothing to do with whether each player wants to play pro baseball but more to do with when they want to take a shot at it.

Getting drafted out of high school is no guarantee you will be re-drafted out of college, just as much as not getting drafted out of high school means you never will be drafted out of college. The college baseball experience will be the main playing field which includes the summer wood bat leagues. They are a main feeder system to the pros. One thing is for sure: Players having this decision are very talented and will have a place to show their stuff, be it on a campus or a minor league town.

High School draft prospects need to sit down with their parents and determine what their value is. When they fill out MLB questionnaires, they will be asked about what round they feel they belong in, and how much bonus they would sign for in some cases. These are tough questions and I have heard different views from “experts”, parents, coaches, scouts, agents/advisors, and everyone in between. Just the fact that the views differ corroborates that there is no right or wrong answer.

Some say if you choose a round to be selected in, you are drawing a line and feel you may be risking being selected at all. If you choose a dollar figure, same thing. But if it is an honest answer and you believe it 100%, then you are risking nothing. If they really want you at that amount of investment, then you can conclude the feeling is mutual and the draft result will prove or disprove it.

Some advise to say nothing, or use the term “market value”. So who is the expert in assigning this market value? The player needs to determine his own market value, then choose to disclose it or keep it under family wraps. Players may be told that “if we selected you in the xth round, would you sign?” In my opinion, that is a tough question to ask a teenager and his family, unless x equals 1^st or 2^nd.  My best advice which comes from research, being a fan of baseball, and a parent with a player in the process is to learn from history.

The internet allows us all the ability to simply read about players and their travels, look at draft history and results, as well as read about the process of getting to pro baseball. Just perform a few “where are they now” searches and you can educate yourself pretty well in a general fashion. A good start is to research Pedro Alvarez (pictured left). He is a 1^st class talent and according to many, a 1^st class kid. Alvarez turned down a nice bonus out of high school, and pretty soon his decision made at that time will turn out to be a great one. Another place to get some recent history is to review some of the players who were named to several of the 2008 Division 1 freshman All-American teams. Several of those players drafted opted for college over starting pro ball, and several went undrafted because of signability. They keep playing the game, and play it at a high level, in college.

Evaluate your situation. Determine your worth. Determine your goals. Only a few high school players each year become instant millionaires. One of the greatest websites is the HSBBW. They recently had their annual thread on this topic. Follow the link and read about true experiences. Experience is the best teacher. What you will conclude is this: It is a very individual decision. There is no cookbook answer. Each of the two choices has its positives and negatives aspects. One hedges the bet with education while the other hedges it with money.

When beginning my search I noticed that Sports Law Blog did a similar comparison with salaries and success, but I could not find other comparisons after 2006.  I will attempt to continue their analysis for the first half of the 2008 season.

To start, I will analyze the top salaries, which includes 2/3 of the top AL East teams, the Red Sox and the struggling Yanks.  As many of you know, the Yanks are the most expensive team in baseball, spending a total of $209, 081,577 on their 2008 roster according to USA Today.  The next team on the list is the other New York team, the Mets, spending $71,288,201 less than the Yanks with a total of $137,793,376.  The Red Sox are fourth on the list spending $133,390,035 on their roster after winning the World Series last season.

The surprising Rays are second to last on the list, spending a mere $43,820,597 on their total roster this year.  That roster has earned them the best record in baseball. The Rays are 53-32 so far and are currently in first place by 3 games over the Red Sox, proving to the league that a low salary does not mean low quality players. Evan Langoria is having a Rookie of the Year type season, but no other Rays are really having a breakout year. This is a scary thought for the rest of the MLB with the second half of the season on the horizon. The Rays play as a team, with the heart and patience to hang in games and come back late in a match if they need to, unlike that of the Yanks so far and many other high paid rosters.

Another surprise team so far this season has been the other Florida squad, the Florida Marlins.  I remember hearing on opening day that the ENTIRE Marlins salary for 2008 was less than the salary of Alex Rodriguez alone this year.  The Marlins management has spent the least in the MLB, paying their players $21,811,500 to start opening day.  After A-Rod and his agent, Scott Boras, worked out a new contract with New York last season, A-Rod was guaranteed $28,000,000 for 2008.  I only analyzed and discussed a couple of teams.  If you want to view the entire list with all 30 MLB teams and their salaries click here.

Using the USA Today data and the results from the past several regular seasons and playoffs, I can conclude that a high payroll does not guarantee success. I have learned after watching March Madness, the NBA, MLB, NHL and just about every sport, that earnings and prior statistics that commentators and gamblers use to handicap games really mean nothing. It is all about the desire, dedication, training regimen, persistence, a little coaching and the overall mindset of the team that wins games.

Look at the NY Giants Super Bowl run and success last season. They came out of nowhere to prove everyone wrong and beat the heavily favored Patriots. Going by all the stats in the NFL, the G-men had no shot at beating Brady and the undefeated Patriots. The only thing they had on their side was the confidence from the great run they were on during the playoffs.

Since baseball does not have a salary cap, teams in New York can spend whatever they want on big name players. However, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is getting wins. Baseball is a team sport and as we can see from the Yankees past 6 seasons, big names (and paychecks) don’t always forge together to win big games. All a team needs to do is get into the playoffs and then anything can happen.

Although the MLB season is only almost half over, it still pays to point out that money does not correlate with success.  Darren looked at how this may eventually affect MLBPA agents in a post that he made back in 2006: Will The Yankees Success Hurt Agents?

How can Jeter be the most overrated player in the league, yet be such an important building block for a great team?  The Yanks have made the playoffs for thirteen consecutive seasons, and went on to the World Series six of those thirteen times.  Jeter has won the World Series four times with New York.  He was the AL Rookie of the Year and has not missed out on the playoffs in his entire MLB career.  If that does not make him a great asset to a team, what does?  DJ is a great player and would be an asset to any team he plays on.

He does not have the explosive numbers like that of A-Rod, but he plays a crucial role on defense and is a clutch hitter in the playoffs.  Is Jeter really an overrated player or do the Yankees just have that many haters out there?  Jeter reportedly dated 6 girls on Maxim’s top ten, not to mention Jessica Biel…how bad can he be?  Do you agree with the SI survey?  Who do you think is the most overrated player in the MLB?