Miami Marlins Win 5th Pick in 2016 Competitive Balance Lottery

Part of the draft order for the 2016 Major League Baseball amateur draft has been set on Wednesday afternoon. Today the commissioner’s office in New York, the Competitive Balance Lottery was held, with the Miami Marlins coming away with the 5th pick in the lottery.

"The Reds, A’s, Rockies, D-backs, Marlins and Pirates will receive the six picks in Competitive Balance Round A, which follows the Draft’s first round. The Padres, Indians, Twins, Brewers, Orioles and Rays will receive the six picks in Competitive Balance Round B, which comes after the second round."

The competitive balance round comes after the conclusion of the first round (including compensation choices). Since the inception of the draft lottery in 2012, the Miami Marlins have received a pick in the lottery each season.

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Despite a hefty payroll in 2012, the Marlins received the 6th pick for the 2013 draft. They received the 2nd pick in the 2014 draft, and won the lottery for the 2015 draft, giving them the first pick after the conclusion of the first round.

Unlike other draft picks, the competitive balance pick is free to use in a trade, as the Marlins have done in the past.

When the Marlins and Tigers agreed to the trade that sent Anibal Sanchez to Detroit, the two teams swapped competitive balance picks, with the Marlins getting the final pick in the second competitive balance round, this one after the second round. The Tigers got the final pick of the first compensation round.

In the Gaby Sanchez trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins acquired the 35th pick. Giving them two picks in the competitive balance draft in 2013.

The Marlins would select Matt Krook, who they failed to sign, with the 35th pick. The team selected Colby Suggs with the 73rd pick, the Tigers competitive balance pick.

After failing to sign Krook, the Marlins got the 36th pick in the 2014 draft as compensation, along with the 39th pick (the fourth competitive balance pick). The drafted Blake Anderson with the 36th pick and traded the 39th pick to the Pirates for Bryan Morris, who has been effective in his time with the Marlins out of the bullpen.

Last July, after winning the lottery for the first time, the Miami Marlins traded the 37th pick the Houston Astros, along with Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, and Francis Martes for Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates. The Astros ended up selecting Daz Cameron with the pick, a top 10 talent guy that fell due to a bonus demand.

Overall, the Marlins have not enjoyed a lot of success with these competitive balance picks. The Bryan Morris trade has been the best get for the Miami Marlins in terms of usage of that pick. Trading the pick to get Cosart maybe the worst value.

As the trade deadline nears, this pick becomes even more important for the Marlins. They’ve used this competitive balance pick more often for trade than to actually make a draft pick. The team could enhance the value of one of their trade chips by inserting the draft pick.

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