Major League Baseball has a draft lottery. So does the NFL. Who knew, right? Let's let that sink in for a minute. It's a new provision in the recently approved collective bargaining agreement, and it's not a complete re-write of the MLB Draft system already in place. Instead it's a way for the teams with the lowest revenues and those from the smallest markets to earn additional sandwich round picks after the first or second round (depending on the lottery). The caveat: they are tradeable assets.
That last part is an exciting development for the Kansas City Royals, who earned the best pick they could have earned with the first post-first round choice. If that sounds complicated, MLB's Vinnie Duber can explain a bit more.
He writes, "The Royals won the first pick in competitive balance Round A, which immediately follows the first round. Selecting after Kansas City in Round A will be the Pirates, D-backs, Orioles, Reds and Marlins. The Padres, Indians, Rockies, A's, Brewers and Tigers will select in competitive balance Round B, which immediately follows the second round."
This means that the Royals can throw in a first round choice to someone along with prospects to gain the much needed frontline pitching they so desperately need. Now Dayton Moore just has to learn how to use Major League level assets well.