2024 MLB draft: One big question for all 30 teams - ESPN

The 2024 MLB draft is a little more than a week away. This year's draft will take place July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game festivities hosted by the Texas Rangers.

As we approach the start of Round 1, here is one big question facing each of the 30 teams.

Teams are listed in draft order.

More ESPN+ draft coverage: Mock draft 2.0 | Top 150-plus prospects

Watch: July 14 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN

Day 1 picks: No. 1, No. 36, No. 48
Bonus pool: $18,334,000

One big question: Will best value trump best player at No. 1?

The Guardians haven't picked this high since 2013, when they took Clint Frazier fifth overall, so we don't have a recent example of how they'll handle a high pick in the hard-capped draft era. They are perceived as possibly the most model-reliant, process-oriented team in terms of drafting, with clear preferences for medium stuff/strong control college pitchers in later rounds, but at higher picks leaning toward more stuff-oriented pitchers and up-the-middle types with a strong hit tool. The top 10 picks and the whole Guardians draft will hinge on whether they take one of the consensus talents — Georgia's Charlie Condon or Oregon State's Travis Bazzana — for what will likely be the highest bonus in the draft, or choose a route that spreads out their risk.

Day 1 picks: No. 2, No. 51, No. 71
Bonus pool: $15,842,100

One big question: Will the Reds hand out the biggest bonus in the 2024 draft?

Meanwhile, the Reds are seen to be a landing spot for Condon if he isn't the top pick, and they would be the odds-on favorite to hand out the highest bonus in the draft. That would still yield them savings for later picks, though. The biggest bonus under these draft rules was