HBT: Marlins weak for lowballing draft pick

And to the MLBPA, too, for signing away draftees rights in the last CBA.

There?s a good chance this is all just posturing ahead of the Friday 5 p.m. deadline, but several sources are reporting that the Marlins have ended negotiations with No. 9 overall pick Andrew Heaney out of Oklahoma State. The reasoning; Heaney appears to be holding out for the MLB produced slot value of his pick, $2.8 million, while the Marlins are offering less.

So, Heaney is left with the choice of taking less money than MLB decided he was worth where he was picked or going back to school or pitching in indy ball and risking losing a couple of million dollars if he gets hurt.

And this is where major league teams have way too much leverage right now; the Marlins can lowball Heaney knowing that they?ll be?compensated?with the 10th (or 11th or 12th) pick in next year?s draft if they don?t sign him.

The Marlins aren?t lacking for funds, and what they?re doing now is probably all part of the negotiating process. But if the reports are true, Heaney isn?t asking for anything excessive. This isn?t a Mark Appel situation, where the pitcher wants more than the team can offer. It?s simply a team wielding more power than it should have been given in the first place.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/12/shame-on-mlb-if-marlins-operate-like-this/related/

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