Yankees 2014 MLB Draft Preview: An introduction

Today we officially begin our coverage of the 2014 MLB Draft. It might sound like this is coming very early, but actually we're a little less than a month away from learning who the Yankees will be drafting into the organization. The Pinstripe Alley staff will prepare you with everything you need to know before the big day. This year's draft order is as follows:

1. Houston Astros
2. Miami Marlins
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Minnesota Twins
6. Seattle Mariners
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Colorado Rockies
9. Toronto Blue Jays
10. New York Mets
11. Toronto Blue Jays (P. Bickford - unsigned)
12. Milwaukee Brewers
13. San Diego Padres
14. San Francisco Giants
15. Los Angeles Angels
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
17. Kansas City Royals
18. Washington Nationals
19. Cincinnati Reds
20. Tampa Bay Rays
21. Cleveland Indians
22. Los Angeles Dodgers
23. Detroit Tigers
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Oakland Athletics
26. Boston Red Sox
27. St. Louis Cardinals

Where are the Yankees? Well, they don't actually have a first-round pick this year, thanks to their giant shopping spree in the offseason. Let's backtrack to see how we got to this point:

As you may or may not know, the order of the draft is based on the reverse standings of the year prior. At the end of the 2013 season, the Yankees had an 85-77 record and the No. 18 overall pick in the 2014 draft. It was their highest pick since they chose C.J. Henry in 2005 with the No. 17 overall pick.

At one point, the Yankees were lined up for as many as four first-round picks. In the offseason, they extended qualifying offers to leaving free agents Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and Hiroki Kuroda. If all three declined the $14.5 MM contract offer and signed elsewhere, the Yankees would have had their highest draft pick in years, along with three competitive-round picks, which would make one more than they had in last year's draft.

Obviously, it didn't work out that way. Hiroki Kuroda re-signed with the team, so they couldn't get compensation for him. Still, Granderson went to the Mets and Cano signed with the Mariners, and for a time the Yankees had three picks. Unfortunately, none of them were protected, so once they started signing free agents who had their own qualifying offer draft penalties attached to them, their draft picks disappeared. The Yankees lost their first pick to the Braves for signing Brian McCann, then they lost their compensation picks to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury, and the Cardinals for Carlos Beltran.

Losing all their first-round picks also means that they won't be choosing on the first day of the draft. Their first pick will come in the second round with the 56th overall pick as part of the second day of the draft. This might not make the first day very exciting for Yankees fans, but there are still plenty of things to discuss, analyze, and learn.