With the new collective bargaining agreement came a new incentive for teams to play poorly: locking up a protected first round draft pick. In the old CBA, the first 15 first-round picks were protected. In the new one, only ten are protected. If a team with a protected pick signs a free agent who received a qualifying offer, that team does not have to surrender its first round draft pick as compensation.
Teams with the ten worst records secured themselves a protected pick. Entering today’s action, the Astros, Marlins, White Sox, Twins, Cubs, Mariners, and Phillies had already locked one up. The Rockies, Mets, Blue Jays, and Brewers entered Sunday’s contests playing for the remaining three spots. In the event of a tie, the team with the worse 2012 record gets preference.
With all of Sunday’s action finalized, here are your protected pick standings:
| Team | W | L | Win% | |
| 1 | Houston Astros | 51 | 111 | .315 |
| 2 | Miami Marlins | 62 | 100 | .383 |
| 3 | Chicago White Sox | 63 | 99 | .389 |
| 4 | Minnesota Twins | 66 | 96 | .407 |
| 5 | Chicago Cubs | 66 | 96 | .407 |
| 6 | Seattle Mariners | 71 | 91 | .438 |
| 7 | Philadelphia Phillies | 73 | 89 | .451 |
| 8 | Colorado Rockies | 74 | 88 | .457 |
| 9 | Toronto Blue Jays | 74 | 88 | .457 |
| 10 | New York Mets | 74 | 88 | .457 |
| 11 | Milwaukee Brewers | 74 | 88 | .457 |
Last year, the Rockies had a .395 winning percentage, the Jays .451, the Mets .457, and the Brewers .512. Unfortunately for the Brewers, they finish on the outside looking in.