David OhNo's MLB Rule 4 Draft 2012 Preview Part 1: The Unlikely Picks

We’re entering uncharted waters this year in the 2012 MLB Rule 4 Draft. Major League Baseball has collectively bargained a new draft structure that few have any idea what to expect from team and player/advisor behavior. For the first time, teams will be allotted a budget by the commissioner’s office for their picks in the top ten rounds of the draft. Should a team spend above that budget, they will be penalized a stiff tax on the overage, and possibly face a loss of draft picks in future drafts (To get the specifics, see this article from Baseball America). Needless to say, expect the