View source for 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft

{{Short description|Selection of players by the Mariners and Blue Jays}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox sports draft
| name        = 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft
| image       = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| logo        = 
| logosize    = 
| sport       = Baseball
| date        = November 5, 1976
| time        = 
| location    = 
| network     = 
| league      = 
| teams       = 
| first       = [[Ruppert Jones]] ([[Seattle Mariners]])
| fewest      = 
| most        = 
| overall     = 60
| prev        = [[1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft|1968]]
| next        = [[1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft|1992]]
}}
The '''1976 MLB Expansion Draft''' was held November 5, 1976. This [[expansion draft]] was conducted by [[Major League Baseball]] to stock the major league rosters of the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] and the [[Seattle Mariners]], new major league [[expansion team|expansion franchises]] established via the [[1977 Major League Baseball expansion]] that were set to start play in the {{Baseball year|1977}} season.

==Background==
{{Location map+ | USA
| width   = 400
| caption = 1977 MLB Expansion Teams
| places  =

{{Location map~ | USA
| lat_deg = 47.59
| lon_deg = -122.33
| mark = Black pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = bottom
| label = '''[[Seattle Mariners|Mariners]]'''}}

{{Location map~ | USA
| lat_deg = 43.63
| lon_deg = -79.42
| mark = Black pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = '''[[Toronto Blue Jays|Blue Jays]]'''}}

}}

[[Seattle]] was promised a franchise by Commissioner [[Bowie Kuhn]].<ref name=Blade>{{cite news|title=Seattle Gets Promise of Big-League Baseball|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19750702&id=OQ9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7166,371051|access-date=5 January 2015|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Toledo Blade|date=2 July 1975|page=25}}</ref> During the summer of 1975, there was speculation that the [[Minnesota Twins]], [[Chicago White Sox]], or [[San Francisco Giants]] could move to Seattle. When none of these plans proved successful, the American League added a team in Seattle.  With thirteen teams in a league creating a scheduling nightmare, the league awarded a franchise to [[Toronto]] over Washington, D.C. in March 1976.

Players were selected only from [[American League]] teams, in keeping with the practices of the A.L.'s expansion of [[1961 Major League Baseball expansion|1961]], the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s expansion of [[1962 Major League Baseball expansion|1962]], and the expansion of both leagues in [[1969 Major League Baseball expansion|1969]]. Beginning with the next expansion in [[1993 Major League Baseball expansion|1993]], the new teams would select players from teams in both the American and National Leagues.

[[Danny Kaye]], part-owner of the Mariners, announced the club's first selection.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/11/13/expansion-draft-no-joke-anymore/ |title=Expansion Draft No Joke Anymore|first=Jerome|last=Holtzman|author-link=Jerome Holtzman|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=November 13, 1997|access-date=October 19, 2011}}</ref>

==Draft results==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:20%;"
|+Key
! scope="row" style="background:#cfc;"|{{center|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]]
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"  style="text-align:center; width:70%;"
!scope="col"| Round
!scope="col"| Pick
!scope="col"| Player
!scope="col"| Position
!scope="col"| Selected from
!scope="col"| Selected by
!scope="col"| Notes
|-
|1||1
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Ruppert|Jones}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Kansas City Royals]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|1||2
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bob|Bailor}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Baltimore Orioles]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|1||3
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Gary|Wheelock}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[California Angels]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|1||4
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jerry|Garvin}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Minnesota Twins]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|1||5
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bill|Stein}}
|[[Third baseman|3B]]||[[Chicago White Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|1||6
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jim|Clancy|dab=baseball}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|1||7
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dick|Pole}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Boston Red Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|1||8
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Gary|Woods}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Oakland Athletics]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|1||9
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dan|Meyer|dab=first baseman}}
|[[First baseman|1B]]||[[Detroit Tigers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|1||10
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Rico|Carty}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Designated hitter|DH]]||[[Cleveland Indians]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Shortly after the draft, traded by Toronto to the Cleveland Indians for [[Rick Cerone]] and [[John Lowenstein]].  Toronto later reacquired Carty, who played for them in 1978 and 1979.
|-
|1||11
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Grant|Jackson|dab=baseball}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[New York Yankees]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]||Shortly after the draft, traded by Seattle to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for [[Craig Reynolds (baseball)|Craig Reynolds]] and [[Jimmy Sexton]].
|-
|1||12
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Butch|Edge}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Milwaukee Brewers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Did not make big league squad until 1979.
|-
|2||13
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Al|Fitzmorris}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Kansas City Royals]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Immediately traded on the day of the draft by Toronto to the [[Cleveland Indians]] in exchange for [[Alan Ashby]] and [[Doug Howard]].
|-
|2||14
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dave|Collins}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[California Angels]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|2||15
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Alvis|Woods}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Minnesota Twins]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|2||16
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Frank|MacCormack}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Detroit Tigers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|2||17
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Mike|Darr|dab=pitcher}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Baltimore Orioles]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|2||18
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Stan|Thomas|dab=baseball}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Cleveland Indians]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|2||19
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Pete|Vuckovich}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Chicago White Sox]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|2||20
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Juan|Bernhardt}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[New York Yankees]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|2||21
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jeff|Byrd}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|2||22
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Rick|Jones|dab=pitcher}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Boston Red Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|2||23
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Bowling}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Milwaukee Brewers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|2||24
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Glenn|Abbott}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Oakland Athletics]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|3||25
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bob|Stinson|dab=baseball}}
|[[Catcher|C]]||[[Kansas City Royals]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|3||26
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dennis|DeBarr}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Detroit Tigers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|3||27
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Carlos|López|dab=baseball}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[California Angels]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|3||28
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bill|Singer}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Minnesota Twins]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|3||29
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dave|Pagan}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Baltimore Orioles]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|3||30
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jim|Mason|dab=baseball}}
|[[Shortstop|SS]]||[[New York Yankees]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|3||31
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Roy|Thomas|dab=pitcher}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Chicago White Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]||Traded by Seattle before the start of the season to the [[Houston Astros]] for [[infielder]] [[Larry Milbourne]]. Seattle later reacquired Thomas, who played for them between 1983 and 1987.
|-
|3||32
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Doug|Ault}}
|[[First baseman|1B]]||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|3||33
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Tom|McMillan|dab=baseball}}
|[[Shortstop|SS]]||[[Cleveland Indians]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|3||34
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Ernie|Whitt}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Catcher|C]]||[[Boston Red Sox]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|3||35
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Pete|Broberg}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Milwaukee Brewers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]|| Traded in April (without appearing in a game for Seattle) to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later. The Chicago Cubs later sent [[Jim Todd (baseball)|Jim Todd]] (October 25, 1977) to the Mariners to complete the trade. 
|-
|3||36
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sort|Weathers|Mike Weathers}}
|[[Infielder|IF]]||[[Oakland Athletics]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Just prior to spring training, traded by Toronto to the [[Oakland Athletics]] (from whence he was drafted) for [[Ron Fairly]].
|-
|4||37
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Staggs}}
|[[Second baseman|2B]]||[[Kansas City Royals]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|4||38
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Braun|dab=baseball}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Minnesota Twins]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|4||39
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Hargan}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|4||40
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Leroy|Stanton}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[California Angels]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|4||41
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Garth|Iorg}}
|[[Third baseman|3B]]||[[New York Yankees]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Did not make big league squad until 1978.
|-
|4||42
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bob|Galasso}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Baltimore Orioles]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|4||43
!scope="row" style="background:#cfc; text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dave|Lemanczyk}}{{sup|{{double-dagger}}}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Detroit Tigers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|4||44
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Burke|dab=baseball}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Boston Red Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|4||45
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Larry|Anderson|dab=baseball}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Milwaukee Brewers]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Shortly after the draft, sent by Toronto to the Chicago White Sox to complete an earlier deal made to obtain [[Phil Roof]].
|-
|4||46
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Joe|Lis}}
|[[First baseman|1B]]||[[Cleveland Indians]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|4||47
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jesse|Jefferson}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Chicago White Sox]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|4||48
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Alan|Griffin|nolink=1}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Oakland Athletics]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]||Did not make Seattle's major league squad. Played in minors through 1978.
|-
|5||49
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Dave|McKay|dab=baseball}}
|[[Infielder|IF]]||[[Minnesota Twins]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|5||50
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bill|Laxton}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Detroit Tigers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|5||51
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Tom|Bruno}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Kansas City Royals]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|5||52
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Julio|Cruz|dab=baseball}}
|[[Second baseman|2B]]||[[California Angels]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|5||53
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Otto|Velez}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[New York Yankees]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|5||54
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Steve|Barr}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]||Did not make Seattle's major league squad. Played in minors through 1978.
|-
|5||55
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Mike|Willis}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Baltimore Orioles]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|5||56
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Puchy|Delgado}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Boston Red Sox]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|5||57
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Sam|Ewing}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Chicago White Sox]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|5||58
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Tommy|Smith|dab=baseball}}
|[[Outfielder|OF]]||[[Cleveland Indians]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
|5||59
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Leon|Hooten}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Oakland Athletics]]||[[Toronto Blue Jays]]||Released by Toronto prior to the start of the 1977 season.
|-
|5||60
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Greg|Erardi}}
|[[Pitcher|P]]||[[Milwaukee Brewers]]||[[Seattle Mariners]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Seattle Mariners}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{MLB Expansion}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1976 Major League Baseball Expansion Draft}}
[[Category:1976 Major League Baseball season|Expansion draft]]
[[Category:Lists of Seattle Mariners draft picks| ]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball expansion drafts]]
[[Category:Toronto Blue Jays]]
[[Category:November 1976 sports events in the United States|Major League Baseball expansion draft]]
[[Category:November 1976 sports events in Canada|Major League Baseball expansion draft]]