The Chicago White Sox will spend more on the 2023 MLB Draft than last year.
Jim Callis of MLB.com released the outlook for 2023 MLB Draft team bonus pools and slot values, which are considerably higher. For the White Sox, in 2022, their total team bonus pool was just $6,292,500. That amount was the third-lowest pool of all teams. A year later, the White Sox draft pool is now at $9,072,800, the 17th most. That's what happens when the major league team goes from 93 to 81 wins.
Thanks to the depth of college players available, especially hitters, this draft class is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory. While it's excellent the White Sox have more cash they can be creative with, it's behind what their division rivals can spend.
AL Central 2023 MLB Draft Pools
- Detroit Tigers: $15,747,200
- Minnesota Twins: $14,345,600
- Kansas City Royals: $12,313,500
- Chicago White Sox: $9,072,800
- Cleveland Guardians: $8,736,700
Here are the bonus slot values for each of the White Sox picks in the first ten rounds:
| Pick | Amount |
|---|---|
| 15 | $4,488,600 |
| 51 | $1,659,800 |
| 84 | $833,900 |
| 116 | $574,600 |
| 152 | $404,700 |
| 179 | $317,400 |
| 209 | $248,300 |
| 239 | $199,900 |
| 269 | $178,000 |
| 299 | $167,600 |
Since Mike Shirley has taken over MLB Draft operations for the White Sox, they have stuck close to selecting a player for the total first-round bonus slot value. Then they have gone over the slot value with their second and third-round picks.
While we continue to focus on how prospects are faring during the season, we must know the money game teams will play ahead of the White Sox. Other organizations may say they "Take the best player available," but it's really "The best player available at the price we want to pay."
For the White Sox in the first round, that'll be around $4.4 million. But in the next two rounds, they could surprise and offer a prospect $2 million at pick 51 and $1.5 million at pick 84 to grab more players from the Top 50 pool, much like they did last year with Peyton Pallette and Jonathan Cannon.
At the top, we may have a surprise. James Fox mocked Pittsburgh going in another direction last week and mentioned again on the FutureSox Podcast that it's not in the Pirates nature to spend all their bonus slot money in the first round. They like to spread it out.
This type of spending by Pittsburgh means that someone like LSU's Dylan Crews, who is still batting above .500 (.525/.654/.909 slash line), may not go number one overall because of the money game. Yes, it's absurd, but this is how the MLB Draft differs from the other professional sports. The best overall prospect only sometimes goes number one overall.
Detroit could offer Crews $9 million to go third overall if the Washington Nationals have cold feet at that price tag. The Tigers already set the highest signing bonus mark with Spencer Torkelson's $8.4 million in 2020. Crews is expected to crush that record as he has against college pitching this spring.
