MLB announced the order of the competitive balance picks for this upcoming June. The Colorado Rockies will be picking in the Competitive Balance Round A in 2018 and according to the preliminary order will have the 38th overall pick.
Due to the new CBA negotiated last offseason, there is no longer a lottery among the 14 teams that qualify for the Competitive Balance picks and instead they alternate between the round A and round B picks each draft. Because the Rockies picked in the comp B round last year they will pick in the comp A round this year. The order of the picks is decided by a formula that takes winning percentage and revenue into account. The Rockies’ revenue must be doing quite well as they dropped behind six of the seven other teams in Round A this coming year and will only draft in front of the Cardinals.
The Competitive Balance Round A picks are slotted in between any first round compensation picks that teams may receive for losing a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer and the second round. Unlike previous years, those compensation picks are not all first round picks and instead may be later in the draft depending on the payroll and market size of the team losing the free agent. There are six free agents, including Greg Holland, that could net their former teams a first round compensation pick if they sign with another team for more than $50M guaranteed. Due to the variable nature of the new compensation picks, the Rockies 38th overall pick could end up being anywhere between its current spot and 44th overall.
With this Competitive Balance pick and their first-round, 22nd overall pick, already in hand, the Rockies could have 3 draft picks in the first 44 picks if Greg Holland signs with another team for a large enough contract.