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Oakland A’s still do not know where they are drafting in 2023

By David Hill |
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

In past years, the Oakland A’s would already know the location of their first round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The A’s are going to finish the season with the second worst record in the majors, one of three teams with 100 losses entering Wednesday. The Pirates are not going to lose more games than the A’s will, which would have typically slotted them into the second spot in the draft order.

Oakland A’s picked wrong time to begin tanking

That is no longer the case. There is now a draft lottery for every team that missed the playoffs for the top six picks in the draft, something designed to get teams to avoid tanking and actually attempt to win ballgames instead of pocketing as much money as possible. Clearly, in the case of teams such as the A’s and Pirates, that did not work.

So what does this mean for the A’s? Well, there is a chance that they could end up with the top overall pick – they have a 16.5% chance at getting that selection, tied with the Nationals and Pirates for the best odds. However, there is also a chance that everything possible goes wrong and the A’s end up with the eighth overall selection.

That would likely matter if ownership cared about the product on the diamond. However, the fact that John Fisher was able to pocket a large chunk of cash, even if it angered the other owners around the league. In the end, he is likely pleased that he can save a bit on signing bonuses if the A’s fall out of the top couple of spots in the draft.

In the end, this is another area where the fire sale has failed. The A’s may have landed Shea Langeliers and Ken Waldichuk, but to this point, their return for the players sent away has not impressed. And top draft picks do not always turn out to be stars – just look at the likes of Todd Van Poppel, Michael Choice, and Austin Beck. But at least there is a better chance of finding those players higher in the draft.

Next. Kaprielian on cusp of putting it all together. dark

The Oakland A’s would normally have the second pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. Instead, they could end up as far back as eighth overall.

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