Here’s the order for the 2011 MLB Draft, which begins Monday. Our heroes, the Pittsburgh Pirates, will pick first, and will likely use the top pick to select UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole. After that comes the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Orioles and Royals.
After that, the Pirates will have to wait for the Tampa Bay Rays to pick approximately 82 times before the Bucs are up again with overall pick No. 61. (They have three first-round picks, then seven compensation-round picks.) Due to Major League Baseball’s absurd method of award compensation picks for departing free agents, the Rays got themselves compensated for ridiculously unimportant free agents like Brad Hawpe, and they’ll now get to fill their farm system with high-upside arms. Good for the Rays for gaming the system, but MLB needs to fix the system so it can’t be so easily gamed.
The Rays, naturally, pick three more times in the second round before the Pirates come up again, but this time, at least, there aren’t any additional comp picks added to the round, so the Bucs’ third selection will be at No. 91.
Here’s the top 10:
1. Pirates
2. Mariners
3. Diamondbacks
4. Orioles
5. Royals
6. Nationals
7. Diamondbacks (compensation for unsigned draft pick)
8. Indians
9. Cubs
10. Padres (compensation for unsigned draft pick)