Eli Cash - contributing reporter
Alright, listen up. With the regular Free Agency period winding down to a gloriously anticlimactic halt, it's time to turn our gaze toward the International market, a realm so untamed it could be a surrealist painting if you squint. Sure, a few more free agents might sign, but that's the calm before the storm. Owners are waiting for the dust to settle on the high-priced AA/AAAA talent that's been pararded out like a lineup for circus freaks, hoping to make a splash at the Major League level. But as of today? This where where we stand.
Here's the thing: many owners are preparing for a sky-high IFA market, which, if you were paying attention to our One Thing article - because you're all savants - you would've seen coming. The pieces were right there, right between the lines, waiting to be noticed. So, let's dive into the teams that have the cojones to make a play in this market - those with at least $15M in prospect money. Teams like Philadelphia and Buffalo each have four picks combined between Round 1 and the Competitive Balance Round. They're sitting pretty, but they'll have to make a tough decision; do they go all in on the draft quality, or do they throw their hat into the wild, unpredictable ring of the International stage? It's a gamble, because even that $600k for a late comp round pick could turn into a dealbreaker when the bidding war heats up for a Japanese phenom.
Now, I should point out that all this is based on estimates. Why? Well, the accountants are on strike, of course. You didn't think we'd have a nice, neat spreadsheet for this, did you? No, this is a world of chaos, and we're all just dancing in the moonlight.
In parentheses is the number of picks that fall within the First and Comp Rounds.
- $45M - Indianapolis (3)
- $41M - Cincinnati (2)
- $38M - Fresno (2)
- $36M - Fargo (2)
- $34M - Montgomery (4)
- Picked up an extra 2nd round picks too
- $33M - Arizona (1)
- $31M - Buffalo (4)
- $30M - Baltimore (3)
- $28M - Nashville (3)
- $25M - Scottsdale (2) & Tucson (1)
- $24M - Durham (1) & Trenton (2)
- $23M - Chicago (1), San Antonio (2), Texas (1), Colorado Springs (4), & Syracuse (1)
- $22M - Los Angeles (2) & Vancouver (1)
- $20M - New York (1), Helena (2), Scranton (2), & Philadelphia (3)
- Philly also picked up 2 extra 2nd round picks