If it Ain't Completely Broke...

Editor's Note: Harper looks like a wannabe member of KISS

The current MLB Draft system is clearly broken. The best players aren't necessarily drafted by the worst teams, and when drafted, there is no guarantee those players will sign with those teams. The Washington Nationals, for the second straight year, signed the number one pick in the draft at the last possible second. This year it was Bryce Harper, the sensation that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16.

Bryce Harper's deal is similar to Mark Teixeira's rookie deal, both receiving more money than most of their peers. He is catching now, but will be moved to the outfield to preserve his health. By signing him, the Nationals now have two of the most hyped baseball prospects ever. The buzz around the District went from excitement over an occasional Adam Dunn home run, to sell outs every time Stephen Strasburg pitches, and dreams of what's to come when Harper matures into a big-leaguer.

That hope and excitement was almost never there. The Nationals are a lower budget franchise. Strasburg and Harper were to be paid large sums of money based on speculation. Will they become legends, or fade away as many hyped athletes do? The Harper hype remains to be proven, but the Nationals made the right choice in signing Strasburg - both were necessary to improve the franchise.

MLB got lucky. They were lucky the Nats signed both of these future superstars. If they had not, the true flaws of the draft would be seen and these talented players would go to the highest bidder, instead of the team with the highest need. There needs to be a cap on what draftees are to be paid. Low budget teams shouldn't be concerned with whether they'll be able to sign the player they draft, just whether the player they drafted will succeed in the organization.

This may not be as big an issue in the coming years, as Strasburg and Harper are described as once in a generation talent. But there are plenty of players every year that either drop down the draft board, or aren't signed because teams do not want to risk dropping money bags on unproven talent. Not drafting well is the easiest way to ruin a franchise. Little risk on proven mediocre talent reaps little reward, while big risk on unproven hype machines could turn a franchise around.

The MLB is not the only draft needing fixing. The NFL's best rookies make more than some of their best veterans too. Sam Bradford signed with the Rams for six years, $78 million, with $50 million guaranteed. There needs to be a cap on rookie signings, which can filter some extra money to NFL retirement, and veteran players. This could be discussed in more detail next season when there's no football and changes will be forced.

MLB though has an opportunity to fix it now, before rookie signings become out of hand, and it is more an auction than a draft. The worst teams should have the right to draft the best players, and their financial situation should not come into play.