Cubs fined for draft violation...

[Ryne_MacGyver]

Didn't see this posted...sorry if I missed it.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3499347

 

How big a deal is this?

[javy knows my name]

It's not a big deal; this happens all the time with large market teams

[Guest]

Well, you can't tell if it's a big deal or because the story is kind of vague. The story says the Cubs weren't fined for going over slot (they sure as hell better not be); were they fined because they let Matt Cerda play before MLB approved the contract and over slot bonus or was it something else besides that?

 

It certainly can't be good that MLB is investigating whether further discipline is required.

 

A baseball source said the Cubs broke a rule requiring clubs to report signing agreements to the MLB central office. The Cubs also violated a rule requiring approved agreements to be in place before signed draft picks take the field, the source said.

 

The Cubs have butted heads with the commissioner's office several times in recent years for exceeding the recommended bonuses under baseball's "slotting" system. This year, Chicago signed California high school infielder Matt Cerda, the 131st overall pick, to a $500,000 bonus, according to Baseball America.

 

Cerda's bonus was more than twice what the 131st pick received in 2007, and exceeded the reported $385,000 bonus the Cubs gave their latest third-round choice, Kent State pitcher Chris Carpenter.

 

But the slotting recommendations only serve as guidelines -- not hard-and-fast rules -- and a baseball official said the Cubs' punishment was unrelated to the size of bonus payments.

 

"This was not a slotting issue," the official said.

Slot rules suck.

[Guest]

It's not a big deal; this happens all the time with large market teams

 

A majority of teams go over slot at some point or another. But they wait for MLB to approve the contract before they let the player actually play.

[javy knows my name]

It's not a big deal; this happens all the time with large market teams

 

A majority of teams go over slot at some point or another. But they wait for MLB to approve the contract before they let the player actually play.

I see. I didn't read as closely as you

[Vinestal]

It sounds like someone made a mistake and forgot some paperwork. We signed the guy and didn't report it correctly. Maybe there was just a break down in communication and one person thought the other person was going to turn the paperwork in and vice-versa. This really seems like its not a big deal. *sigh* Because its the Cubs they will blow it all out of proportion. They cant void the contract can they?

[Rob]

I'd sincerely doubt MLB voids the contract. This was a procedural error, not an attempt to bend the rules.

[NCCubFan]

Slot rules suck.

Not to mention invalid and unenforceable, since they're not part of the CBA.

[badnews]

Arlen Spector has called for a "transparent, thorough, and independent" investigation of this matter, which the media has now dubbed "Cerdagate."

[Guest]

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080721&content_id=3169284&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

"The violation alleged involved failure to notify the League office prior to signing a player. We are working with the League on an appropriate resolution," the statement read.

 

...

 

Citing unidentified sources, ESPN.com said that the Cubs broke a rule that requires clubs to report signing agreements to the Commissioner's office as well as a rule requiring that an agreement be in place before any signed Draft pick takes the field.

 

MLB is continuing to investigate whether the Cubs broke any other rules, ESPN.com said, as part of its investigation into scouting irregularities, particularly in Latin American countries that are not included in the Draft.

[Guest]

Shaun P. (Medway, MA): KG - what's the deal with the fines on the Cubs for draft violations?

 

Kevin Goldstein: Honestly? It's crap, utter crap. I was talking to a front office official the other day about the draft in general and he put it best -- "The player procurement system in baseball is an absolute joke."

 

Andrew (Nueva York): What does MLB say the Cubs did? Can't be as bad as those OTHER rumors.

 

Kevin Goldstein: It's not. And to be clear, plenty of teams have been fined in the past for somewhat similar transgressions -- it just wasn't publicized. It's really not that big a deal.

[Post Count Padder]

Shaun P. (Medway, MA): KG - what's the deal with the fines on the Cubs for draft violations?

 

Kevin Goldstein: Honestly? It's crap, utter crap. I was talking to a front office official the other day about the draft in general and he put it best -- "The player procurement system in baseball is an absolute joke."

 

Andrew (Nueva York): What does MLB say the Cubs did? Can't be as bad as those OTHER rumors.

 

Kevin Goldstein: It's not. And to be clear, plenty of teams have been fined in the past for somewhat similar transgressions -- it just wasn't publicized. It's really not that big a deal.

Good to hear. I had horrible visions of use losing draft picks or something. But with the way our prospects usually turn out, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.

[TruffleShuffle]

the cubs should go over slot on every draft pick, then tell the commissioner's office to blow it out their collective asses.

[JeffH]

the cubs should go over slot on every draft pick, then tell the commissioner's office to blow it out their collective asses.

 

Well, once Selig's boy Canning buys us, we'll fall back into line like good, little losers should.

[Guest]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/22/cubs.fine/?eref=sircrc

 

The Cubs' fine for violations related to the June draft of first-year players was a whopping $500,000, SI.com has learned.

 

Major League Baseball ruled that the Cubs violated a couple of baseball rules, including failing to report a signing to MLB's New York offices and putting the player on the field before receiving approval for the signing from MLB offices.

 

The Cubs were said by people familiar with the case to have exacerbated the situation by how they responded to MLB's concerns. MLB higherups apparently didn't believe Cubs people were completely forthcoming regarding their actions in the case when questioned about them.

 

Baseball disallows teams from making pre-draft deals, but it isn't known whether such an early deal is related to this case. However, the extent of the fine makes it clear how displeased

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Dumb.

[Guest]

Inside the Ivy[/url]"]Cerda said Tuesday that he was not the player that took the field before his signing was approved by the commissioner's office.

 

Haha, what the hell.

[TruffleShuffle]

wow that is complete garbage. 500k? they should fight that fine very vigorously.

[JeffH]

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices.

 

Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

[Wrigley Rat]

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices.

 

Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

I haven't posted in awhile, but that made me lol!!!! :)

[YearofDaCubs]

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices.

 

Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

:lol:

[illiniguy]

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices.

 

Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

Awesome.

[Brett]

Box Jason Marquis up in a big crate and send it to MLB's offices.

 

Include a note that reads, "Keep the change".

 

There's change?

[wvcbxl]

There's change?

 

Considering Marquis' real value, I'd guess lots of it.

[Guest]

Sun-Times[/url]"]'Clerical errors'

 

Commenting for the first time since Major League Baseball levied a $500,000 fine against the Cubs over rules violations from last month's amateur draft, Hendry said MLB and the team still are reviewing the penalties, and he hoped it would be ''rectified in the next few days.''

 

''We just had a few clerical errors in the dates of reporting [signing bonuses],'' he said. ''There's no dollars that weren't spent or hidden or things like that. Two of our draft choices were signed to above the slot figures [MLB's suggested bonus levels], which is perfectly legal. But the protocol of when the amounts were called in were not on the day or two before maybe they should have been called in.''

 

I'd have to guess it's Cerda (4th rounder) and Watkins (21st rounder).