1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft
| 1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft | |
|---|---|
The logo for the 1992 MLB expansion draft | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Date | November 17, 1992 |
| Location | New York City |
| Network | ESPN |
| Overview | |
| 72 total selections | |
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Expansion teams | Colorado Rockies Florida Marlins |
| Expansion season | 1993 |
| First selection | David Nied (Colorado Rockies) |
The 1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft was held on November 17, 1992, in New York City. The expansion draft allowed two expansion teams in Major League Baseball (MLB)—the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins—to build their rosters prior to their inaugural seasons.
The 1990 collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and the MLB Players Association allowed the National League (NL) to expand by two members—from 12 to 14—to match the size of the American League (AL). In June 1991, MLB accepted bids of groups from Miami, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, with debuts set for the 1993 season. The Rockies were placed in the NL West division and the Marlins were placed in the NL East division.
This was the first major-league expansion draft that allowed expansion teams to select players from either league. The Marlins and Rockies used the draft to build their teams using different strategies. As the Rockies had a smaller operating budget than the Marlins, the Rockies targeted prospects with low salaries, while the Marlins selected older players intended to provide more immediate impact. All three rounds of the draft were televised by ESPN.