BY BRIAN GARDNER
Several UK players will be drafted in today’s Major League Baseball draft, led by Luke Maile, who has played catcher, first base and DH for the Cats and been the biggest bat in their lineup. The first player drafted with local connections will most likely be Walker Buehler, a recent graduate of Henry Clay High School. Buehler has committed to Vanderbilt but is projected to be drafted in the second round or earlier. The big money associated with such an early pick presents a delightful dilemma for him and his family. High school Seniors and College Juniors and Seniors are eligible for the draft which runs through Wednesday. The fortunes of players, families and MLB Scouting Directors are about to change significantly.
New draft rules make this year’s draft especially intriguing for players and teams alike. This year teams have a “budget” as to how much they can spend on players taken in the first ten rounds with the permissible amount varying from team to team. The lesser teams have more to spend in an effort to keep the big spending ball clubs from throwing millions of dollars at players of marginal worth. The signability of players is at premium now as money slotted for a particular pick cannot be used on subsequent picks. The goal is to emphasis scouting of talent over excessive spending. It’s a brave new world for Major League Baseball.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
UK Baseball: A Championship Season?
UK Coach Matthew Mitchell, Alan Stein among This Year’s Models, 2011
