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MLB Trade Rumors 2020 Mock Expansion Draft
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Tim Dierkes
12:38
Welcome to the MLB Trade Rumors 2020 Mock Expansion Draft!
Connor Byrne
12:46
This is going to be fun.
Tim Dierkes
12:57
We're both super excited to attempt to simulate what a real MLB expansion draft might look like.  In this alternate universe, a normal 2020 season was played and the draft takes place in November.
12:58
In an attempt to mimic how it was done with the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays in 1997, we've come up with a 15-player protected list for each of the 30 existing MLB teams.
12:59
Go here to see who was protected from each team: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18D48DCpv0X6VzgToeFBUwMog9xZO0s...
1:00
A few notes on that.  Players with no-trade clauses were automatically protected.  Players who will be free agents after 2020 are excluded from the entire draft.  Baseball America Top 100 prospects with a 2020 ETA were automatically protected.  https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2020-top-100-prospects/
So then I picked some players I thought were relatively easy choices to protect, and left a bunch up to MLBTR readers to vote on.
Yay Baseball!
1:00
Who determines who is pulled back for each team after someone is picked from that team?
Tim Dierkes
1:00
So let's get into the drafting rules!
1:01
Oh one note on minor leaguers.  In 1997, most of the best prospects were ineligible, but certainly plenty of other minor leaguers were eligible and drafted.  In fact, about a quarter of the drafted players were minor leaguers.
1:02
Check out the rules there.  I decided that instead of trying to determine eligibility for every minor leaguer to find the fringe ones who would be available, we'd limit this to 40-man roster players who were in the Majors last year, plus the aforementioned Baseball America prospects.
Onto how the draft will work here!
Connor won the coin flip and chose the #2 and #3 picks.
1:03
That means I go #1 and #4.  After that, we alternate.
The best place to keep track of the picks is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18D48DCpv0X6VzgToeFBUwMog9xZO0s...
Bay of Puigs
1:03
This is gonna be fun!
Tim Dierkes
1:03
One more thing: we've decided to pick managers.  Connor, who ya got?
1:04
Connor is running the Las Vegas Vipers by the way.
Connor Byrne
1:04
The Vipers are proud to announce Buck Showalter as our manager. 1. He's a respected, accomplished manager. 2. He has successfully led an expansion team in the past. 3. He has interacted with George Costanza. The floor is yours, Tim...
Tim Dierkes
1:06
Excellent pick!  The Lumberjacks were able to coax Oregon native Dale Murphy into taking the manager job.  We've convinced the universally respected long-time Braves great to relocate to Portland and manage this island of misfit toys!
I'm glad Dale is helping keep the dream of the 90s alive in Portland.
So we've got about 700 people in the chat room and we're ready to rock.
1:07
Each existing MLB team can only lose one player in the first round.  After 30 total players have been picked, each existing team gets to pull back an additional three players for protection.
The sheet here lists the players in the order MLBTR readers voted on them: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18D48DCpv0X6VzgToeFBUwMog9xZO0s...
And that is the order in which they will be pulled back.
Here we go...
With the #1 pick, the Portland Lumberjacks take SP Jonathan Loaisiga from the Yankees.
Connor Byrne
1:08
With picks 2 and 3, the Vipers select Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena and Cardinals lefty Genesis Cabrera
Tim Dierkes
1:09
Have to admit, I
1:10
I'm bummed to not have a shot at Tyler O'Neill.  He was early on my list.
Mike Gircsh
1:10
Dangit, Mo!  We lost Cabrera!
Connor Byrne
1:10
He was up there for me, too, but I was all-in on Genesis
Tim Dierkes
1:10
Great band too
Connor Byrne
1:11
"Thanks"-Phil Collins, who's definitely reading this
Tim Dierkes
1:11
With the #4 pick, the Portland Lumberjacks take 1B Bobby Bradley from the Indians.
Connor Byrne
1:11
Uh-oh. I was about to take a different Indian. Time to regroup...
1:12
Give me White Sox catcher Zack Collins at No. 5.
Tim Dierkes
1:13
Interesting!  Good to get an up-the-middle player.
Connor Byrne
1:14
Yep, but who knows if he'll actually stick behind the plate. At least he can hit.
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