The poor, downtrodden Cardinals receive a bonus pick in next year’s draft thanks to the Competitive Balance Lottery

By Jul 23, 2014, 4:01 PM EDT
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The Competitive Balance Lottery gives clubs with the 10 lowest revenues and in the 10 smallest markets the opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery. The picks are made after some weighting is applied based on winning percentage (i.e. the best teams in the lottery have lower chances of being drawn) and six are given additional draft picks immediately following the first round of next year’s draft. Sort of like the old sandwich picks. The remaining teams are then drawn for six more slots following the second.

Today that lottery was held and here are the winners:

source:

Congratulations to the Cardinals for bucking the odds. Yes, St. Louis is one of baseball’s smallest markets, but the Cardinals also happened to be the reigning N.L. pennant winners, so they had the worst odds of being picked.

An odd system, though. One that assumes the smallest market or smallest revenue teams are those in most need of extra help in the draft. That’s clearly not the case. Especially when you consider that the draft represents a very low percentage of a team’s overall outlay for talent and thus is one place where low revenue/small market teams are least disadvantaged compared to their bigger richer peers.

Maybe more annoying about this, though, is that it’s a lottery in the first place. Major League Baseball has a habit of turning things that should be straightforward — overturning calls; aiding poor teams — into contests and games. A lot of calls are being missed and replay is needed? Let’s add strategy and game show rules to the process! Competitive balance is an issue? Let’s address it through a lottery! The All-Star Game is less competitive? Let’s turn it into a contest to decide home field advantage in the World Series!

If you actually think something is a problem, you solve it in a straightforward manner. If you merely wish to shut up complainers, you condescend with games. That’s what this is.

Orioles sign OF Aaron Hicks, put Cedric Mullins on 10-day IL with groin strain

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 11:07 AM EDT
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”