FadetoGreen is correct. My understanding is that players are grouped into 4 classes, Class A, Class B, CLass C and no class free agents. If you lose a class A FA, you get the signing teams #1 pick and a sandwich pick, if you lose class b, you get their first rounder and no sandwich pick, if you lose Class C, you get a sandwich pick only and if you lose a no class FA, you get nothing. Teams play games w/ it too and trade FA for FA, thus switching picks and they both get a sandwich pick while neither loses a player.
It is a supplemental pick that takes place between rounds in the MLB draft (the picks are sandwiched between the first and second or second and third rounds).
Sandwich picks are given in compensation for losing a free agents. The rules governing draft-pick forfeiture are byzantine at best but, essentially, a team that loses a free agent gets a draft pick from the player's new team as compensation (assuming the old team is still in position to take the player to salary arbitration). The compensation pick might be the signing team's pick, a "sandwich pick," both, and/or a later pick.
The free agent rules can lead to some bizarre results. For example, if you lose a free agent you get the signing team's regular pick and the bonus sandwich pick; but when you sign someone else's free agent, all you lose is your regular pick. So, if you swap your free agent for someone else's, you both swap regular picks and then everyone nets those bonus sandwich picks. As a result, there is disincentive to re-signing their players. The Red Sox are masters at this.
Sandwich picks are given in compensation for losing a free agents. The rules governing draft-pick forfeiture are byzantine at best but, essentially, a team that loses a free agent gets a draft pick from the player's new team as compensation (assuming the old team is still in position to take the player to salary arbitration). The compensation pick might be the signing team's pick, a "sandwich pick," both, and/or a later pick.
The free agent rules can lead to some bizarre results. For example, if you lose a free agent you get the signing team's regular pick and the bonus sandwich pick; but when you sign someone else's free agent, all you lose is your regular pick. So, if you swap your free agent for someone else's, you both swap regular picks and then everyone nets those bonus sandwich picks. As a result, there is disincentive to re-signing their players. The Red Sox are masters at this.
