If you hang around the Mets blogosphere and follow draft talk the slightest bit, you’d have heard about the Mets reluctance to break slotting guidelines in the amateur draft. Fans and bloggers seem really upset about the Mets and the fact that they stick to the slot guidelines. The point is that the Mets shouldn’t be shying away from better talents due to higher prices, which I agree with. I’m just not sold on how much its really affected the Mets, the way everybody else seems to be.
For example, read what Mike Nichols wrote at Mets Blog a couple weeks ago. Also, read the comments on this post at Mets Blog, where angry fans demand that the Mets break slotting guidelines in this years draft to replenish the farm system. The general sentiment seems to be that the Mets’ farm system is so weak because they are unwilling to pay the top prospects in the draft.
While I agree that sticking to slotting guidelines is stupid, I think its magnitude is being blown far out of proportion. People are dwelling on this one issue as an excuse for our weak farm system, and I’ve had enough of it until I see some proof that this is the reason that the Mets farm system is inadequate.
So, if you’re angry about the Mets reluctance to break slotting guidelines in the draft I send you a challenge: Go through some recent drafts, preferably under the Omar Minaya era, and try to find as many budding stars as you can that were drafted below the Mets top pick in that years draft.
Then, figure out if teams like the Mets were passing on this player because he had a high price tag that scared teams away, because they were refusing to break slotting guidelines. Just check to see if this player signed a large bonus that likely caused other teams to be hesitant. For example, you could look at the 2002 draft and see that many teams passed on Scott Kazmir because they were unwilling to pay him the $2.15 million bonus that the Mets did. He was widely seen as a top talent in the draft, but cautious teams would not spend that much on him.
If you’re one of the people angrily commenting on Mets Blog or if you’re just upset in general with the Mets recent decisions to stick with slotting guidelines, prove me wrong. Go through some drafts, find some players that the Mets could have taken and didn’t because of a high price tag. Granted, there will be some stars drafted behind the Mets but they Mets didn’t necessarily miss out on them because of slotting. If there are budding studs out there that the Mets avoided because of their price tag, I agree with you in thinking that they should have drafted them.
I just don’t think that slotting is the reason that the Mets have a very weak farm system. If you find any players that the Mets avoided due to their price tag and since have been worth that cash, put them in the comments section to prove me wrong.
Pete Lappin (3)
