Is Paul Skenes baseball’s new strategy?

The draft catches MLB’s eye

Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a great start.

Less than a year ago, 21-year-old Paul Skenes was pitching for LSU. Saturday, the much talked about prospect made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes did not figure in the decision in a rain-interrupted game won by the Pirates over the Cubs, 10-9, but Skenes left a favorable impression. The right hander allowed three runs on six hits over four innings, walked two and struck out seven. He threw 84 pitches of which 17 reached 100 or more MPH.

The story to me, however, was Skenes advancement from college to major league baseball in less than a year. More and more scouts I talk to seem to indicate baseball will drop another classification in the minor leagues, and to me, Skenes just might be exhibit A.

Paul Skenes

Currently baseball’s minor league system, fully under the control of MLB, consists of AAA, AA, High-A and Low-A teams for each MLB club. The commissioner’s office has already consolidated the minors, eliminating rookie league pro baseball. Costs for operating the minor leagues have also grown now that the minor league players have unionized. MLB also picks up housing for minor league players and other benefits it at one time it did not pay for.

Repeat: even though MLB has expanded its revenue streams, the price to operate a minor league system has grown. Numerous scouts have told me the Low-A leagues will be history, when a new working agreement is negotiated with MLBPA. The current one expires after the 2026 season. I have no reason to disagree with that assessment, as MLB looks to reduce the number of players in an effort to cut costs.

The college baseball product has also improved. Many of the facilities for these college teams are as good as Low-A teams. It would not surprise me if MLB appeases MLBPA by adding two more expansion clubs as a counter to the elimination of the Low-A leagues. I could also see MLB trying to convince colleges to switch from aluminum to wooden bats, with MLB picking up the cost.

Obviously, not every prospect has the potential of a Paul Skenes with a trajectory to make the majors in less than a year, but making better use of college baseball as a feeder system is something I believe MLB will consider in a way to control costs. The upcoming negotiations with the MLBPA may make the last one look like child’s play.

And what about the draft?

A couple of newsletters ago I wrote about the legality of the draft of amateur players by professional sports leagues. I speculated when that legality might be challenged in court. Recently, I read the autobiography of the late Yankee, Bobby Murcer: Yankee for Life. Coincidentally, Murcer was signed by the Yankees in 1964 one season before MLB adopted the draft. Murcer wrote about how he was not a fan of the draft, because it limited a player’s options and was thankful he had a choice.

Now comes word MLB has sent out a memo discouraging clubs from convincing high profile prospects to drop out of high school and take up residency in another country. Such a move would not make a player subject to the draft and thus \open to free agency as amateurs, similar to the days before the draft. In the memo, MLB hinted that some clubs were engaged in such activity.

I will repeat what I wrote two weeks ago, the draft of all sports will be challenged in court before too long. There is too much money floating around to think such a move will not be undertaken.

That is it for this week’s newsletter. As always, thank you for your support and have a terrific week.

DAN LOVALLO