Compensation Pick Question / Is This Guy Confused?

[Providence A's]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...p-369651c.html

Yet, would it be so bad if the Mets used Zito in October, then lost him this winter? If the Mets lost the southpaw as a free agent, they would get compensation picks - Oakland's first-round pick (provided the A's finished with a top-15 record), plus a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds.

Why would the Mets get the A's 1st round pick if Zito signed with another team (assuming he was traded to the Mets and then didn't sign with them)?? Wouldn't the Mets get the 1st round pick of the team he signed with?

[McKain]

Yes, they would get the first round pick of the team he signed with, not the A's.

The dude is from the NY Daily News. Forgive his stupidity.

[Providence A's]

that is what I figured, but wanted to double check...why are there so many writers that don't know what what the hell they're talking about in regards to the topic of which they chose to write about? (it's a rhetorical question)

[General]

And why is it that most of the clueless writers write for the NY Post or News?

[Dry1313]

No, honestly, you guys might not believe me when I say all the NY writers are stupid pricks, but they are. What I'd give for a competent baseball guy like a Hal McCoy in Cincy...

All we got is Joel Sherman, and he's extremely mediocre.

You'd think the media capital of the world would have excellent competent writers, but no. We get the dregs of the writing world.

And the New York Times is too highbrow to write anything intelligent about baseball. They can't see the point of hitting or throwing a ball anyway.

[mnash]

LOL, it looks like they changed it.

A lot of the writers in Toronto are no better. I wish I had a nickel for every time Jeff Blair said the Wild Card would come out of the Central for sure. Whose leading it now Blair?

[Providence A's]

LOL, it looks like they changed it.

that's funny...I'm sure someone contacted them telling them they're idiots

how about checking to make sure the facts are correct in the first place? no, that would be too hard and far less embarrassing

[Saber]

The other thing they don't tell you is that the free agent has to be offered arbitration and refuse it to be eligible for compensation picks.

That's why the Braves got screwed a few years ago when the offered Greg Maddux arb and he accepted, when they only wanted the picks.

[realmofotalk]

The other thing they don't tell you is that the free agent has to be offered arbitration and refuse it to be eligible for compensation picks.

That's why the Braves got screwed a few years ago when the offered Greg Maddux arb and he accepted, when they only wanted the picks.

Good point, but I haven't gotten why teams are allowed to offer arbitration to an unrestricted free agent besides the incentive of compensatory draft picks.

[Saber]

I have no idea why, but they can, and the player is free to accept or decline it freely. The Expos ****ed up not offering Vlad arb when he became a free agent. The Angels paid nothing for the privilege on that one.