One consequence of the Los Angeles Dodgers' bank-breaking ways will play out this month.
Because they were over the highest luxury tax threshold in 2024, the Dodgers' first pick in the Jul. 13 Major League Baseball Draft was bumped back 10 picks. Combine that with their win in the World Series, and they won't have a selection until 39 players are already gone.
Obviously, the Dodgers already have a boatload of talent, but their ability to draft and develop quality prospects has kept the organization on top of the league for the past decade. That means they'll be under pressure to nail that 40th overall pick.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan recently predicted how the Dodgers would use that pick--and his answer should be terrifying for the rest of the league.
On Monday, Passan predicted that the Dodgers would select Lincoln Way-East H.S. (IL) left-handed pitcher Jack Bauer, who has turned heads this spring with the most electric high school fastball in the country.
"Los Angeles never shies away from projects, and Bauer is the draft's most high-variance arm," Passan explained. "The left-hander throws up to 103 mph, and as much as teams believe they can teach velocity, you can't teach 103.
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"If Bauer can figure out how to harness his fastball and cleans up some of his control issues, the Dodgers could have a true No. 1 starter in the making."
It's bananas that the draft has arrived in a place where a lefty pumping triple digits could fall 39 slots. But the Dodgers wouldn't be complaining in this scenario.
The 6-foot-3 Bauer is a very raw talent, but the Dodgers should be trusted to get the most out of him if he falls in their laps. And they've got a robust pitching pipeline to hold the big-league rotation down and give him as long as he needs to develop.
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