What are your opinions on pre-draft deals?

I understand that a club would want to know they could sign a player before they draft him. But, are they ever used to keep another team from getting to a player first?

Let say a club offers you a certain amount of money if they draft you. Could they say take that player in an earlier round for the lower round money just to keep another club from getting that player first?

There could be discussions about signing for a specific amount of money, but most real predraft deals happen in the first round. It is normally based on a club being fairly positive the player will be avaliable at that position.

A few years ago Chris Lubanski had a predraft deal with Kansas City. Chris was projected to go in the middle of the 1st round. Kansas City offered him something like 2.5 million with the 5th pick. At the time the 5th pick would be valued close to 3 to 3.5 million. On the other hand the middle of the 1st round would be more like 1.5 million.

The bottom line... The Royals saved maybe a million and Lubanski got maybe a million more than if he'd gone in mid 1st round. Great deal for both! Lubanski looks like he is worth the money, too.

Truth is most predraft deals involve the early picks of the first round.

Can you say "JEFF FRANCOEUR".

PG,

Thanks for clearing that up for me.


Vance,

I don’t understand.

Francoeur accepted a deal with the Braves and part of the deal was to tell the teams picking in front of the Braves that he wasn't going to sign.

Vance,

Thank you for explaining that to me.

I did look up some info on Jeff Francoeur and saw where he was born in Atlanta, GA. That may be why he made the deal with the Braves.

But, he was a first round pick and as PG explained to me “pre-draft deals” are usually made with first round picks.

quote:

There could be discussions about signing for a specific amount of money, but most real predraft deals happen in the first round.

Jerry,
Simply not my point of view.

a) It's business as usually to determine
the signability of a draft pick.

b) It's NOT clear what YOU mean by
"most real predraft deals", however
many pre-draft deals, if not first year draftees, are signed prior to June draft.

Regards
Bear

The original topic did not refer to DFEs. It's not very confusing at all.

No pre draft deal is signed before the draft. NONE

VANCE

What about the team with the #1 pick making the deal they want with the player they want--it has happened many times as the team wants to make sure they "have him locked in" before the draft

And you call me CLUELESS !!!!

Matt Bush/ 2004 /Padres

ALL pre draft deals are verbal only. Nothing is signed on paper, EVER! MATT BUSH, did not sign a contract before he was drafted. He verbally agreed to sign and yes TRHIT, I call them as I see them.