2016 Draft Order is Set

Now that Dexter Fowler and Ian Desmond have been signed, the 2016 draft order has been locked in.  The Padres lost Ian Kennedy and Justin Upton to free agency after extending qualifying offers to both.  Eleven teams signed players who had declined qualifying offers, thereby forfeiting their top unprotected picks.  That means that the Padres kept their first round pick, gained two compensatory round picks, and slid up in order as picks ahead of them were vacated. The Padres will have the following picks through the first three rounds:  #8, 24, 25, 48, 71, 85.

Picks are no good without having money available to sign them.  The Padres go in to the draft with$12,743,800, the fourth largest pool of draft money behind the Reds, Phillies, and Braves.  This affords the draft team to take off the gloves and continue to restock the talent pool.  BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!  The Padres also will head in to the next international signing period with a healthy bonus pool which they are forecasted to far exceed.

Preller's had a year and a half to reshape the management, scouting, and coaching staffs at all levels.  While the organization was panned for unloading the talent that Preller inherited, he's added quite a bit of talent.  Taking a look at MLB's Top 30 list, 22 of the players were brought in since Preller took over.  It can be argued that only a few of the players traded away would make that list today.  A big draft class with ample early picks plus a huge international pool haul should send the Padres draft system back into the discussion of "best farm system in baseball".