2016 MLB draft order set, Red Sox will pick 12th overall

Now that Ian Desmond has signed with the Rangers, each of the 20 qualifying offers has been dealt with in some way. What this means is that we now know what the official order for the 2016 draft is, and where the Red Sox will be picking. It's weird that it took until almost March for us to know this, but at least all of those players were signed before the regular season began. Progress?

The Sox will pick 12th, flanked by the Mariners and Rays:

Boston didn't have to give up their first-round pick in order to sign David Price to a seven-year, $217 million deal, thanks to his being traded mid-season -- that disqualified him from compensation eligibility, and since the Sox played themselves out of pick protection with a late-season surge, that all worked out in their favor. Thanks to the sheer volume of players who did receive qualifying offers, though, Boston won't be picking again until 51st overall -- selections 24 through 34 will all be compensation picks that extend the first round.

Then, there is the competitive balance round for picks 35 through 41, and finally the second round can begin at 42. Even that's still a little off in its order, though, as the Blue Jays will get a compensation pick for failure to sign last summer's second-round pick at 57, and the Orioles will get another shot with the 69th selection for the same. Then, the second competitive balance round takes up spots 71 through 77, and the Sox will get to pick again at 88 in the third.

Things even out after that, and you just have to start adding 30 to the previous Sox pick to know when their next one is.

It's way too early to know just who the Sox will pick, or even who they might want to be picking, but hey, at least now you know when they will. The 2016 MLB Draft begins on June 9.