MLB Draft 2019: Red Sox picks, dates, TV, live stream info

All the information you need to know about how to watch the 2019 MLB amateur draft and when the Boston Red Sox will make their selections.

The next wave of Boston Red Sox prospects will soon be joining the organization with the 2019 MLB draft rapidly approaching.

Baseball’s annual amateur draft doesn’t get quite the exposure that this event does in other sports, in part due to the selections often taking years to reach the big leagues. The Red Sox won’t receive an immediate boost from anyone they draft this year but prospect enthusiasts will eagerly track their development as they work their way through the system.

The MLB draft is a multi-day marathon that spans 40 rounds. There’s a lot to keep track of but we’re here to provide you with all the information you need to follow along.

When is the draft?

The draft kicks off on Monday, June 3 with the first two rounds beginning at 7 p.m. EST.

Rounds 3-10 will be held on Tuesday, June 4 beginning at 1 p.m. EST.

The draft wraps up with rounds 11-40 beginning at noon EST on Wednesday, June 5.

How to watch the draft

The first two rounds of the draft will be televised on MLB Network on Monday. The next two days covering rounds 3-40 can be viewed online at MLB.com. MLB Network will provide pre-draft coverage and analysis throughout the draft.

When do the Red Sox make their picks?

Unfortunately, if you’re tuning in to find out who the next Red Sox prospect will be, you’ll have to wait a while. Boston doesn’t have a first-round pick due to the penalty for exceeding the luxury tax by more than $40 million last year, which drops their top pick by 10 spots.

The World Series champs were originally slated to own the No. 33 pick in the first round. The Atlanta Braves (No. 9), Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 26), and Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 31) all received compensation picks for failing to sign 2018 first-round draft choices. That explains why Boston was bumped back to 33 in a 30-team league.

The tax penalties drop Boston’s top pick all the way back to No. 43 overall. That’s the second pick in Round 2, which follows the Competitive Balance Round A where small market teams are handed an extra draft pick.

The Red Sox will also make the last selection in Round 2 at No. 69 overall. So, they won’t pick in the first round but get a pair of second-rounders. That’s not ideal for a team with one of baseball’s weakest farm systems. When you wonder why the front office isn’t eager to spend into the harshest tier of tax territory again to upgrade their bullpen, this is why.

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The Competitive Balance Round B and a compensation pick owed to the Dodgers for losing Yasmani Grandal in free agency delays Boston’s next pick until No. 107 at the end of Round 3. Owning only two picks in the top 100 is the cost of winning with MLB’s highest payroll.

The last pick that we can definitively say when the Red Sox will make a selection is No. 137 at the end of Round 4. Following that round, teams that lost a qualifying free agent and went over the luxury-tax threshold last season will earn a compensation pick. A couple of eligible free agents remain available, so if they were to sign with a team before Monday then it could result in a comp pick that bumps back each selection for the remainder of the draft.

While the exact spot in the draft hasn’t quite been determined yet, we know that the Red Sox will pick last in rounds 5-40.

Can the Red Sox add another pick?

Yes! You may have guessed that one of those eligible free agents that I referred to is former Red Sox closer, Craig Kimbrel. If the flame-throwing right-hander were to sign with any other team before Monday, Boston would receive a comp pick after Round 4.

Don’t count on that happening. Kimbrel’s outrageous salary demands aren’t the only reason he remains on the market. Any team besides Boston that signs Kimbrel would forfeit a draft pick but that penalty is washed away after the draft. It’s unlikely a team that has waited this long to pounce on Kimbrel will get desperate enough to sign him now when waiting a few days would save them a draft pick.

Speaking of teams desperate for bullpen help, the Red Sox could sure use a proven closer. A reunion with Kimbrel probably won’t happen due to the tax concerns but once it’s confirmed that they can no longer expect a comp pick for losing Kimbrel, it’s possible they could reconsider at some point after the draft.

Where can I find out more about Red Sox draft picks?

Right here on BoSox Injection! We’ll be providing more pre-draft content leading up to the event, as well as post-draft analysis of the picks we’re most excited about.