This isn't a coincidence, but Beattie and his Expos are Exhibit A in this argument. That was Texas high school pitcher Josh Girdley, who got the lowest signing bonus of any of the first eight picks. This year, the Expos hold the fifth overall pick. They are said to be in serious pre-draft negotiations with Puerto Rican high school shortstop Edgardo LeBron. He wasn't even rated by Baseball America among the top 100 talents in the draft.
Draft day ought to be an exciting day for the whole organization.
But when you have players you say you can't take because of the money, I think that's bad for the industry. The bad clubs ought to get the good players. And that doesn't happen. As far back as 1983, they took Tim Belcher with the first pick in the country, and he told them to go jump in a Great Lake. And in 1996, the Twins chose Travis Lee with the second overall pick, only to watch him sneak out a loopholed back door into free agency.