Does anyone have the initial 2008 mock draft?

Naturally, a lot will change between now and next June; but I find this order perfectly reasonable at this time, and I would be very happy to end up with Donovan Tate in our organization. Somehow, I think he’ll go higher next June.

Donovan Tate would be great for making Tate Donovan jokes.

Any of those top 3 hitters would be sick.

This list is similar to what Jim Callis at Baseball America predicted in his article today with the Giants picking Tate. The differences between the list occur after the Giants #6 pick.

I saw another list that had us picking Scheppers. (I’m surprised this list doesn’t have Aaron Crow anywhere in the Top 10).

Also, the early 08 draft previews changed fairly dramatically from what ultimately ended up happening in the 08 draft. Baseball America listed Posey at #15 in the early 08 preview.

Thanks for finding and posting this. Here are my answers to your concerns:

“He has leverage in that he could choose to attend college and play football (and baseball).”

Besides Boras clients (which he could be), most prospects faced with the decision of passing up $3-5M and opting for school, usually select the money. I would say that is probably true in particular for any prospective football player, where his MLB career could be pissed away in a huge pile up. Between making more money in one transaction than 99.999999% of the people on this earth will ever see in their lifetime and the glory of destroying your knee on a college football field, I think the choice is pretty clear for most people except maybe for sons of NFL stars who want to follow in their father’s footsteps. Didn’t stop JT Snow from chosing baseball, though.

“He has tools galore, but can he translate them into performance as a pro?”

The Giants’ one trait they have looked for in hitters during the Sabean era are toolsy hitters (who until Fred Lewis had all failed). I would be shocked if they didn’t pick someone because he’s toolsy.

“They may be more inclined to choose a college hitter”

When is the last time they chose a college hitter before Posey with their #1 pick? Never under Sabean.

However, they have selected three high school hitters, including the toolsy Wendell Fairley. The closest they have come is two college hitters they selected in the supplenmental first round round, which I don’t count as the first round.

“There are some pretty good pitching prospects likely to be available at #6, …”

The Giants under Sabean has seemed to focus on who they think is the best player still left on the board, regardless of position played. Most of the players they have drafted in the first 5-6 rounds have been around 1-2 rounds earlier than would be thought, based on Baseball America’s Top 200 pre-draft rankings (assuming teams drafted in that order).

The question is: do you trust Sabean or not? Most here don’t but he selected Lincecum when most experts thought the Giants would skip him and select the full-bodied pitching adonis Daniel Bard and Bumgarner when most were salivating over Beau Mills.

Of course, no one likes losing, but that’s really the only way to re-build, go through some losing years. Don’t the team look like it is in good shape? Even in spite of all the atrocities, as some call them, in player personnel moves? Didn’t he keep all the young prospects worth keeping in recent years, despite the team goal to win one for The Barry? Liriano, who knows how long his body will hold up, he’s like the new Kurt Ainsworth, Bonser’s 15 minutes appear to be up, and Accardo’s not doing so well anymore, only Carlos Villanueva fo the BrewCrew would be someone I would wish had not been traded, but he’s only done well as a reliever, not a starter (where he has been horrible), and my concern level only goes so high over relievers who are not closers. And I wish they had not let Brian Buscher get away to the Twinnies, but mainly because he’s a passable 3B when we need one and it’s the Twins, I never liked that Dan Gladden won two World Series with them, and the Nathan trade furthered my enmity.

We have a great core for the next 5-6 years (assuming we can resign Cain and Lincecum for at least 2 years into their free agent years), we just need to add at least one good bat this off-season, and maybe Lewis or Sandoval can step up to the plate and do well, and I believe Rowand will be better next year, he was great for April/May, then horrible, suggesting an injury, much like Winn’s 2006, so as long as he can stay away from injury, he should be better.

Plus, we have Bumgarner, Alderson, Villalona, Noonan, Posey looking like they will be coming up in the next 2-3 seasons, adding to that core. If people could just let the past go and appreciate what we have today, they might realize that our team is in pretty good shape for the 2010-2015 period. Humm Baby!

I find it a little hard to believe that the Nationals would draft Strasburg when they’re too cheap to even sign Aaron Crow. But we shall see