Of all the drafts in professional sports, baseball’s is probably the biggest crapshoot. Sometimes even getting consistent contributions from the higher round picks isn’t guaranteed. As teams try to find the best way to get value out of the money they pour into the draft, trades become an alternate way to do so.
The Pirates’ trade for Ji-Man Choi — sending away Jack Hartman — was a reminder of this avenue.
Hartman was drafted in the fourth round back in 2020 out of Appalachian State. Due to COVID, there were only five rounds that year. Hartman signed as a college senior for just $60,000 (the slot value was $538,200), before missing the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.