A silver lining

Now, don't get me wrong, losing the final game of the season to the Giants is never an ideal ending. But the Dodgers' loss coupled with the Brewers' win has allowed the Dodgers to keep their first round pick this year. How, you ask? I'll explain.

As you may know, the draft order is the reverse of the final standings, with the team with the worst record picking first. Coming into the day, the Dodgers and Brewers had identical 82-79 records, tied for the 15th overall pick. Now, in the event of a tie, the team with the worse record in the previous season picks first. So the Brewers would have gotten the 15th overall pick, with the Dodgers getting the 16th overall pick. It seems insignificant, but it couldn't be more important to draft geeks like myself. Because due to the free agent compensation system, teams who pick in the second half of the first round (Picks 16-30) forfeit their first round pick when they sign a Type A free agent who has been offered arbitration. Teams who pick in the first half of the first round (Picks 1-15) forfeit their second round pick when they sign a Type A free agent who has been offered arbitration.

That may be a lot to absorb if you aren't familiar with the draft / free agency compensation system, but essentially what happened is today's loss allows the Dodgers to sign anyone they want and keep their first round pick. And with Logan White in charge, that's invaluable.

Later tonight, I'll be posting my review of the Great Lakes' Loons season. Sometime in the middle of next week, I'll post my review of the Rookie Leagues. And next Sunday, I'll review the major league club. So stay tuned.