2024 Draft - Part 23 - Looking At My Mock Draft, How Much Money Will We Have To Spend?

People are talking about saving money on the 1-1 pick to have money left over for later picks.  Let's examine, using my latest mock draft, how much money I think we will have left over to sign over-slot guys.  NOTE: Some of the slot values may be off a little bit.  I will correct them in the next couple of days if my research finds that they are not exact.  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: USING THE FIGURES BELOW, YOU CAN SEE HOW WE CAN SIGN OVERSLOT PLAYERS WITHOUT CHEAPING OUT ON OUR 1-1 PICK.  PLEASE TAKE NOTE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS SCOUTING DEPARTMENT1

The Guardians have a draft budget of $18,334,000.  Thus, assuming we spend 4.99% over our budget as we have for the last 3 drafts, this gives us an allowed overage before we lose a draft pick, of:

Overage : $914,680  

Let's now look at each of the picks in my latest mock draft and what I think the expected difference in their bonuses (savings in black, overslot amount in red)

#1 - $10,570,600 - Bazzana - $9,300,000 - $1,270,600

#36 - $2,596,000 - Holman - $2,200,000 - $396,000 

#48 - $1,958,000 - Cunningham - $1,800,000 - $158,000

#84 - $917,290 - HS Flyer Pitcher - $2,500,000 - $1,582,710

#114 - $644,600 - Ager - $520,000 - $124,600

#147 - $467,610 - Holmes - $440,000 - $27,610

#177 -$355,190 - Draft Eligible Sophomore position player - $1 million - $644, 880

#207 - $277,750 - Boerema - $250,000 - $27,750

#237 - $222,420 - Knowles - $250,000 - $22,580

#267 - $196,900 - Bay - $200,000 - $3,100

#297 - $184,910 - Coppola - $250,000 - $65,090                                        

#327 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Koch - $250,000 - $100,000

#357 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - McDowell - $25,000 - $0

#387 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Draft-eligible soph position player - $270,000 - $120,000

#417 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Holcombe - $175,000 - $25,000

#447 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - HS P Flyer #2 - $300,000 - $150,000

#477 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Injured College Pitcher #1 - $200,000 - $50,000

#507 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - HS P Flyer #3 - $250,000 - $100,000

#537 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Injured College Pitcher #2 - $150,000 - $0

#567 - Bonus - $150,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Willadsen - $100,000 - $0

#597 - Bonus - $225,000, if < 0 then = 0 - Draft-and-follow - $225,000 - $0

Cleveland Guardians' 2024 budget pool + $4.9999%: $19,250,682 (budget in 2023 was $8,736,700)

Amount spent: $19,250,302

Amount of budget left:  $380

So, if this all works out, I have stayed within budget and gotten a solid class of:

• 3 high profile HS pitching prospects
• 1 draft and follow JUCO player we have up to next July to sign for up to $225,380
• 3 injured college pitchers
• 2 draft-eligible sophomores
• 3 college seniors/redshirt juniors 
• 5 classic college junior pitchers
• 5 college position players

This adds up to a total of 12 college pitchers, 3 high school pitchers, 5 college position players and 1 JUCO D&F whose position will probably be determined by who is left when they get to their 20th round pick.