1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft
Teal and purple bats and flags with the Marlins and Rockies logos
The logo for the 1992 MLB expansion draft
General information
SportBaseball
Date(s)November 17, 1992
LocationNew York City
Network(s)ESPN
Overview
72 total selections
First selectionDavid Nied (Colorado Rockies)
← 1976
1997 →

On November 17, 1992, during the 1992–93 offseason, Major League Baseball (MLB) held an expansion draft in New York City to allow two expansion teams, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, to build their rosters prior to debuting in the National League's (NL) East and West divisions, respectively, in the 1993 MLB season.

The 1990 collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and the MLB Players Association allowed the NL to expand by two members to match the American League (AL). In June 1991, MLB accepted bids of groups from Miami, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, with debuts set for 1993.

The Marlins and Rockies used the expansion draft to build their teams using different strategies. As the Rockies had a smaller operating budget than the Marlins, the Rockies targeted prospects with low salaries, while the Marlins selected older players intended to provide more immediate impact.[1] All three rounds of the draft were televised by ESPN.

Background

Main article: 1993 Major League Baseball expansion

Major League Baseball (MLB) team owners and the MLB Players Association agreed to expand the National League (NL) by two teams in the 1990 collective bargaining agreement.[2] Prior to expansion, the NL had 12 teams while the American League had 14.[3]

In June 1991, MLB accepted two bids for expansion franchises: one for Miami, Florida, and the other for Denver, Colorado. Both teams were set to debut in 1993.[4][5] Expansion was approved unanimously by all teams in July 1991.[6] The Denver group chose to call their franchise the Colorado Rockies, the same name used as the National Hockey League franchise that played in Denver from 1976 to 1982. The Miami group chose to call themselves the Florida Marlins to broaden their fanbase to the entire state,[6] while reviving the nickname of the Miami Marlins, a defunct Minor League Baseball team.[7] An expansion draft to stock both franchises was set for November 1992.[6]

Procedure

In contrast to previous expansion drafts, players from both the American League (AL) and National League (NL) were available to the expansion clubs.[1] Each existing club could protect 15 players on their 40-man roster from being drafted and only one player could be drafted from each team in each round. At the end of each round, NL teams could protect an additional three players and AL teams could protect an additional four. To further protect the AL teams, a maximum of eight AL teams could have three players chosen.[8]

All unprotected MLB and minor league players were eligible except those chosen in the amateur drafts of 1991 or 1992 and players who were 18 or younger when signed in 1990.[8] Players who were free agents after the 1992 season were not eligible for selection in the draft.[1] The Rockies and Marlins, however, were not restricted in offering contracts to free agents. The Rockies signed their first free agent, Andrés Galarraga, to a one-year contract the day before the expansion draft.[9]

The draft order was determined by a coin toss, the winner of which could choose either: (a) the first overall pick in the expansion draft and the 28th, and last, pick in the first round of the 1993 MLB amateur draft; or (b) allow the other team to pick first and receive both the second and third overall expansion draft picks, the right to pick first in the subsequent rounds of the expansion draft, and the 27th, and next-to-last, overall pick in the 1993 MLB amateur draft. Colorado won the toss and chose to pick first overall.[1][8] The three rounds of the draft were televised by ESPN.[1]

Results

With the first pick, the Rockies chose David Nied, who had a 3–0 win–loss record with a 1.17 earned run average in six MLB appearances with the Atlanta Braves.[10] The Marlins' first selection, Nigel Wilson, spent the 1992 season with the Double-A Knoxville Smokies of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, and had no MLB experience.[11]

In total, the Rockies and Marlins chose 41 pitchers with their combined 72 selections.[12] Of the 72 players chosen, 11 were All-Stars during their careers. Jack Armstrong,[13] Bryan Harvey,[14] and Danny Jackson[15] had been All-Stars before the expansion draft, while Andy Ashby,[16] Brad Ausmus,[17] Vinny Castilla,[18] Jeff Conine,[19] Carl Everett,[20] Joe Girardi,[21] Harvey,[14] Trevor Hoffman,[22] Jackson,[15] and Eric Young[23] became All-Stars later on in their careers. Hoffman would also be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Key
‡
 All-Star
†
 Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
A man in a white baseball uniform in his pitching motion.
Trevor Hoffman, the one-time career leader in saves,[24] was selected with the 7th pick overall.
A man in a red baseball uniform stands and looks towards his left.
Brad Ausmus never played for the Rockies, but had an 18-year MLB career.[17]
A man in a blue jacket with the word "Indians" written across the chest
Eric Wedge managed the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners after his playing career.[25]
A man in a navy blue baseball uniform with the word "New York" written across the front
Joe Girardi played for the Rockies (1993–1995) and managed the Marlins (2006).[21][26]
Round Pick Player Position Selected from Selected by
1 1 David Nied Right-handed pitcher Atlanta Braves Colorado Rockies
1 2 Nigel Wilson Outfielder Toronto Blue Jays Florida Marlins
1 3 Charlie Hayes Third baseman New York Yankees Colorado Rockies
1 4 José Martínez Right-handed pitcher New York Mets Florida Marlins
1 5 Darren Holmes Right-handed pitcher Milwaukee Brewers Colorado Rockies
1 6 Bret Barberie Shortstop Montreal Expos Florida Marlins
1 7 Jerald Clark Outfielder San Diego Padres Colorado Rockies
1 8 Trevor Hoffman† Right-handed pitcher Cincinnati Reds Florida Marlins
1 9 Kevin Reimer Outfielder Texas Rangers Colorado Rockies
1 10 Pat Rapp Right-handed pitcher San Francisco Giants Florida Marlins
1 11 Eric Young Sr.‡ Second baseman Los Angeles Dodgers Colorado Rockies
1 12 Greg Hibbard Left-handed pitcher Chicago White Sox Florida Marlins
1 13 Jody Reed Second baseman Boston Red Sox Colorado Rockies
1 14 Chuck Carr Outfielder St. Louis Cardinals Florida Marlins
1 15 Scott Aldred Left-handed pitcher Detroit Tigers Colorado Rockies
1 16 Darrell Whitmore Outfielder Cleveland Indians Florida Marlins
1 17 Alex Cole Outfielder Pittsburgh Pirates Colorado Rockies
1 18 Eric Helfand Catcher Oakland Athletics Florida Marlins
1 19 Joe Girardi‡ Catcher Chicago Cubs Colorado Rockies
1 20 Bryan Harvey‡ Right-handed pitcher California Angels Florida Marlins
1 21 Willie Blair Right-handed pitcher Houston Astros Colorado Rockies
1 22 Jeff Conine‡ First baseman/Outfielder Kansas City Royals Florida Marlins
1 23 Jay Owens Catcher Minnesota Twins Colorado Rockies
1 24 Kip Yaughn Right-handed pitcher Baltimore Orioles Florida Marlins
1 25 Andy Ashby‡ Right-handed pitcher Philadelphia Phillies Colorado Rockies
1 26 Jesús Tavárez Outfielder Seattle Mariners Florida Marlins
2 27 Freddie Benavides Shortstop Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies
2 28 Carl Everett‡ Outfielder New York Yankees Florida Marlins
2 29 Roberto Mejia Second baseman Los Angeles Dodgers Colorado Rockies
2 30 David Weathers Right-handed pitcher Toronto Blue Jays Florida Marlins
2 31 Doug Bochtler Right-handed pitcher Montreal Expos Colorado Rockies
2 32 John Johnstone Right-handed pitcher New York Mets Florida Marlins
2 33 Lance Painter Left-handed pitcher San Diego Padres Colorado Rockies
2 34 Ramón Martínez Shortstop Pittsburgh Pirates Florida Marlins
2 35 Butch Henry Left-handed pitcher Houston Astros Colorado Rockies
2 36 Steve Decker Catcher San Francisco Giants Florida Marlins
2 37 Ryan Hawblitzel Right-handed pitcher Chicago Cubs Colorado Rockies
2 38 Cris Carpenter Right-handed pitcher St. Louis Cardinals Florida Marlins
2 39 Vinny Castilla‡ Shortstop Atlanta Braves Colorado Rockies
2 40 Jack Armstrong‡ Right-handed pitcher Cleveland Indians Florida Marlins
2 41 Brett Merriman Right-handed pitcher California Angels Colorado Rockies
2 42 Scott Chiamparino Right-handed pitcher Texas Rangers Florida Marlins
2 43 Jim Tatum Third baseman Milwaukee Brewers Colorado Rockies
2 44 Tom Edens Right-handed pitcher Minnesota Twins Florida Marlins
2 45 Kevin Ritz Right-handed pitcher Detroit Tigers Colorado Rockies
2 46 Andrés Berumen Right-handed pitcher Kansas City Royals Florida Marlins
2 47 Eric Wedge Catcher Boston Red Sox Colorado Rockies
2 48 Robert Person Right-handed pitcher Chicago White Sox Florida Marlins
2 49 Keith Shepherd Right-handed pitcher Philadelphia Phillies Colorado Rockies
2 50 Jim Corsi Right-handed pitcher Oakland Athletics Florida Marlins
2 51 Calvin Jones Right-handed pitcher Seattle Mariners Colorado Rockies
2 52 Richie Lewis Right-handed pitcher Baltimore Orioles Florida Marlins
3 53 Brad Ausmus‡ Catcher New York Yankees Colorado Rockies
3 54 Danny Jackson‡ Left-handed pitcher Pittsburgh Pirates Florida Marlins
3 55 Marcus Moore Right-handed pitcher Toronto Blue Jays Colorado Rockies
3 56 Jamie McAndrew Right-handed pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers Florida Marlins
3 57 Armando Reynoso Right-handed pitcher Atlanta Braves Colorado Rockies
3 58 Bob Natal Catcher Montreal Expos Florida Marlins
3 59 Steve Reed Right-handed pitcher San Francisco Giants Colorado Rockies
3 60 Junior Félix Outfielder California Angels Florida Marlins
3 61 Mo Sanford Right-handed pitcher Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies
3 62 Kerwin Moore Outfielder Kansas City Royals Florida Marlins
3 63 Pedro Castellano Third baseman Chicago Cubs Colorado Rockies
3 64 Ryan Bowen Right-handed pitcher Houston Astros Florida Marlins
3 65 Curtis Leskanic Right-handed pitcher Minnesota Twins Colorado Rockies
3 66 Scott Baker Left-handed pitcher St. Louis Cardinals Florida Marlins
3 67 Scott Fredrickson Right-handed pitcher San Diego Padres Colorado Rockies
3 68 Chris Donnels Third baseman New York Mets Florida Marlins
3 69 Braulio Castillo Outfielder Philadelphia Phillies Colorado Rockies
3 70 Monty Fariss Outfielder Texas Rangers Florida Marlins
3 71 Denis Boucher Left-handed pitcher Cleveland Indians Colorado Rockies
3 72 Jeff Tabaka Left-handed pitcher Milwaukee Brewers Florida Marlins

Draft-day trades

The following trades were announced at the conclusion of the expansion draft:[27]

Aftermath

Several older star players who were left unprotected, including Danny Tartabull, Jack Morris, and Shawon Dunston, were not selected due to their high salaries and advanced age.[28] Based on the results of the expansion draft, the Marlins were projected to have a higher payroll in 1993 than the Rockies.[29] The Rockies' payroll appeared to be $4 million, less than what the Marlins would pay Bryan Harvey.[28]

The New York Yankees challenged the validity of the draft on the basis that the Marlins did not compensate the Yankees for the loss of territory in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the Yankees had a minor league team. They attempted to revoke the assignment of Hayes and Ausmus to the Rockies and Everett to the Marlins. Invoking the "best interests of baseball" clause, Commissioner Bud Selig and the major league executive council affirmed the draft results.[30]

In the 1993 Major League Baseball season, the Marlins and Rockies both finished sixth out of seven teams in their respective divisions.[31] The Rockies were the first team to reach the playoffs, using the roster they developed through the expansion draft to win the wild card in 1995, a record for the shortest amount of time for an expansion team to make the playoffs in any sport at the time.[32] (The Arizona Diamondbacks would go on to break the record by reaching the playoffs in 1999, their second year of existence.)[33] Ritz and Painter, both selected in the expansion draft, started Games 1 and 2 of the 1995 National League Division Series for the Rockies.[32] The Rockies added free agent acquisition Larry Walker to a lineup of power hitters in Galarraga, Bichette, and Castilla, known collectively as the "Blake Street Bombers".[34]

Meanwhile, the Marlins kept fewer players they selected in the expansion draft than the Rockies. In 1996, the Rockies retained 13 players from the draft, while the Marlins had six.[35] Jeff Conine, nicknamed "Mr. Marlin", was the only player selected in the expansion draft on the Marlins' 1997 World Series championship roster.[36] However, the Marlins used the players selected in the expansion draft to craft their 1997 roster. The Marlins traded three players selected in the draft, Hoffman, Martínez and Berumen, to the San Diego Padres for Gary Sheffield,[37] a key member of the 1997 Florida Marlins.[38] However, other key players to the Marlins' World Series championship were signed as free agents.[39] The 1997 Marlins set records by reaching and winning the World Series in the team's fifth year[40] (these records were broken by the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, who won the World Series in their fourth year of existence)[33] and were the first wild card team to win the World Series.[41]

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d e DeMarco, Tony (November 17, 1992). "Win now or later: Marlins, Rockies must decide today". The News. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  2. ^ Topkin, Marc; Romano, John (June 16, 1989). "NL will grow by 2, but first . . . // 1. Players, owners must agree on labor contract ; the current pact expires Dec. 31. // 2. Within three months of a labor agreement, commissioner will announce timetable". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1.C. Retrieved October 28, 2011. (subscription required)
  3. ^ "Giamatti Refuses to Agree to Further MLB Expansion". The Daily Review. Morgan City, Louisiana. Associated Press. August 3, 1989. p. 12. Retrieved September 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Chass, Murray (June 11, 1991). "Baseball Ready to Add Miami and Denver Teams". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  5. ^ Newhan, Ross (June 13, 1991). "Owners' Group Approves Denver, Miami Baseball: Final hurdle is vote by all owners. AL executives still angry with Vincent's solution on expansion money". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Chass, Murray (July 6, 1991). "BASEBALL; The Marlins? The Rockies? Get Used to It. It's Official". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  7. ^ Reaves, Joey (November 7, 1992). "More than just Barnum on the bill for expansion Marlins". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c "Major League Baseball 1992 Expansion Draft". The Telegraph-Herald. November 16, 1992. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  9. ^ "Galarraga signs with Rockies". USA Today. November 18, 1992. p. 1.B. Retrieved October 17, 2011. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Beaton, Rod (November 18, 1992). "Prospects are first to go // Braves' Nied has promise". USA Today. p. 4.C. Retrieved October 26, 2011. (subscription required)
  11. ^ "Marlins make Wilson's dream a reality". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. November 18, 2011. p. 17. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  12. ^ "Trade flurry follows expansion draft". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. November 18, 2011. pp. 13, 17. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  13. ^ "Jack Armstrong Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Bryan Harvey Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Danny Jackson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  16. ^ "Andy Ashby Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Brad Ausmus Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  18. ^ "Vinny Castilla Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  19. ^ "Jeff Conine Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  20. ^ "Carl Everett Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "Joe Girardi Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  22. ^ "Trevor Hoffman Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  23. ^ "Eric Young Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  24. ^ Bloom, Barry (September 24, 2006). "'Trevor Time' reaches immortality". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011.
  25. ^ "Eric Wedge Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  26. ^ "Joe Girardi Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  27. ^ "Rockies draft for the present, Marlins plan for the future". The Rochester Sentinel. Associated Press. November 18, 1992. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  28. ^ a b Blum, Ronald (November 19, 1992). "Marlins, Rockies ignored unprotected star players". The Dispatch. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  29. ^ Ringolsby, Tracy (November 22, 1992). "Marlins' Projected Payroll More Than Double The $5.3 Million Of The Rockies". The Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved October 18, 2011. (subscription required)
  30. ^ Chass, Murray (November 25, 1992). "Baseball; Expansion Draft Will Stand, Yankees Are Told by Council". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  31. ^ "1993 National League Standings". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  32. ^ a b Pinsonnault, Jay (October 3, 1995). "Baseball makes history as playoffs start". Kingman Daily Miner. p. 7. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  33. ^ a b "Timeline". dbacks.com. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  34. ^ Beaton, Rod (August 23, 1995). "Blake Street's big bash: Rockies reach the rare air of playoff race". USA Today. p. 1.C. Retrieved October 26, 2011. (subscription required)
  35. ^ Moss, Irv (May 10, 1996). "Rockies clearly had the better expansion draft". Denver Post. p. D–05. Retrieved October 26, 2011. (subscription required)
  36. ^ Edes, Gordon (October 26, 1997). "For Conine, it's time to revel in here, now". Boston Globe. p. F.11. Retrieved October 26, 2011. (subscription required)
  37. ^ Edes, Gordon (July 11, 1993). "Marlins develop more than a following: The expansion club has several high marks on its own growth chart as it heads into the All-Star break". Orlando Sentinel. p. C.5. Retrieved October 26, 2011. (subscription required)
  38. ^ Olney, Buster (October 22, 1997). "'97 World Series; Finally in Series Spotlight, Sheffield Is Slugging Away". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  39. ^ Holtzman, Jerome (November 13, 1997). "Expansion Draft No Joke Anymore". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  40. ^ "1997 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  41. ^ "The Road to the 1997 World Series". marlins.com. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
Bibliography

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