BA's Jim Callis talks AnVil and the Giant's draft strategy.

by AngelintheInfield on May 7, 2008 1:29 PM PDT

Jim Callis had a chat on ESPN.com today, and awnsered an uncharacteristically high number of Giants questions. I always love hearing some Villalona news, and I though it was relevant due to all the talk of his slow start.

Giants Question 1:

Todd Nizzle, SF: How important are Angel Villalona's stats for these first couple of years in the minors? Do they serve as good indicators, or should they be secondary to his overall development?

Jim Callis: Stats aren't as important in the lower minors ad they are in the upper minors, and Villalona also will get bonus points for being so young for his levels. That said, it's too easy to say a young player "held his own" against older competition to explain away lackluster stats. If Villalona is going to be the stud a lot of people think, he shouldn't spend the whole year in the SAL and hit .230 with six homers. I know he's off to a bad start, but it's still early.

Giants Question 2:

Vern (SF): ANy chance ther Giants get lucky with Alvarez slpping to #5? Seems too good to be true! If not..is G. Beckham the guy even if Tim B. is still on the board? I know the Giants want t college bat...but doesn't it make sense for them to take the best offensive player in the draft?

Jim Callis: That could happen if the first four teams decide Alvarez is too costly. We still think he's the top player in this draft, but he's not head and shoulders above everyone. Posey, Matusz, both Beckhams and Crow could go ahead of him, especially with signability factored in. I could see the Giants taking G.Beckham over T.Beckham depending on what they want. Gordon has performed very well in the Cape Cod League and against tough competition this spring.

Giants Question 3:

Andrew (Sacramento, CA): When do you see Howie Long's son going in the draft? Do you think the Giants at #5 will decide to take him?

Jim Callis: No chance to go No. 5 at all. He's really more of a third- to fifth-rounder, a big kid throwing in the high 80s who hasn't faced much in the way of competition. He's more projection than present, and I don't think he's signable in the third to fifth, so he could slide.

*Disclaimer: I didn't know the policy on pulling info from other sites, and I couldn't find it online. Hoping I don't get in trouble for this!*

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Todd Nizzle

lol.

by WTF on May 7, 2008 1:44 PM PDT reply reply 0 recs

No mention of Smoak?

by positiveuphemism on May 7, 2008 1:47 PM PDT reply reply 0 recs

Smoak was mentioned before...

but they said that teams were hesitant to take him since he is a pure 1st baseman. Callis sees him dropping a bit, but he still thinks Smoak will be an eventual all-star due to the power.

Angel Villalona: Treatin' all pitches like fastballs since '07.

by AngelintheInfield on May 7, 2008 2:00 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Pure first baseman with power?

Do want. F the rest of the teams. Gimme gimme gimme.

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 7, 2008 2:10 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Where there's Smoak, there's fire!

"I been waitin' a long time for this! I been waitin' since the f**kin' amateurs!" --WILL "THE THRILL" CLARK

by Josh from Hollywood on May 7, 2008 2:14 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Hellz yea

I’ve always been pro-Smoaking. If not only for the fact that Jon Miller would have a heyday with his name.

Here’s the pitch… and SMOAK’s one to right!

Angel Villalona: Treatin' all pitches like fastballs since '07.

by AngelintheInfield on May 7, 2008 2:15 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

if he nails one into the Cove, it's...

Smoak on the Water

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on May 7, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Too bad he doesn't play basketball

He could be settin’ Smoak screens all over the court.

Angel Villalona: Treatin' all pitches like fastballs since '07.

by AngelintheInfield on May 7, 2008 3:12 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Now you're just blowin' smoak

¿Julio is tourist in San Francisco? Harper's Bizarre!

by hairball on May 7, 2008 3:21 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

I thought you weren't a fan of Smoaking

If you like things that are funny, perhaps you will enjoy ChatterBalks Dot Com?

by groug on May 7, 2008 9:31 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

In this case I would thank the Giants for Smoaking.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 8, 2008 6:49 AM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Smoaking

some Bocock?

by kaliber on May 8, 2008 1:47 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Hey if he’s into that then more power to him…

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 8, 2008 2:15 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

2008 Draft

After reading and listening about the upcoming draft the consensus seems to be that the 2008 draft shapes up as the Big Four:

1) Pedro Alvarez 3b
2) Tim Beckham SS
3) Aaron Crow RHP
4) Brian Matusz LHP

There has also been some recent chatter about Florida State catcher Buster Posey busting into the Top 5. The consensus is that the Giants will select a Justin Smoak, Eric Hosmer or possibly a Gordon Beckham – all hitters. My question is if one of the Top Four falls into SF’s lap and they have him highly rated why shouldn’t the Giants select that player – even if it is CROW or MATUSZ?

by wilriv21 on May 7, 2008 3:18 PM PDT reply reply 0 recs

BPA

I’d imagine that in baseball, unlike the NFL or NBA, a team should probably draft based on their “big board” moreso than any perceived (real or not) need they see in the organization. The low probability of finding a hit in any draft pick (while I concede is somewhat higher in top 5 or top 10 picks) should play directly into this. If one of Crow or Matusz fall to the Giants and they’re ranked higher than guys like Smoak or Hosmer, I’d like to think that they’d lean toward the former.

by sfgfan on May 7, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

NO PITCHER, PLEASE!!!!

I would agree with you any year but this! We just really, really need hitting prospects.

¿Julio is tourist in San Francisco? Harper's Bizarre!

by hairball on May 7, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

However

if the best guy out there is a pitcher…you know, like Timmy II…

by tyrannoman on May 7, 2008 3:34 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

You mean Timmy III, right?

Adopted father of the AnVil / GIANTSPACE™ returns!

by SoFa King Mike on May 7, 2008 3:42 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

No we don't.

Hitting prospects have no value. Only MLB players have value. That’s why you should always take the player you think has the best chance of being a productive MLB player. I’d take a pitcher who has 40% of succeeding over a hitter with 30%.

..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.

by Cookyman on May 9, 2008 4:47 AM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

The word is that Crow and Matusz project as #2 starters best-case. Which is great, of course, but in the top five you want someone with ace potential. Especially when your org finds good pitchers everywhere but can’t develop hitters at all.

by Evan on May 7, 2008 3:58 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

I think that was the consensus top 4 with Smoak right behind heading into the season. But Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham are the two best college baseball players this year. Keith Law thinks Buster Posey is one of the top 2 players in the draft now. So although I agree with BPA line of thinking, I don’t think passing on the pitchers for Posey, G-Beckham, Smoak or whoever is really reaching.

by hammystyle on May 7, 2008 4:26 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Posey has put up Pablovian numbers this year.

by mxmob33 on May 7, 2008 5:13 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Don'tcha just love it?

Don’t you just love it when the draft has its Big Four—and the Giants have the FIFTH pick? :)

by sharksrog on May 7, 2008 6:11 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

It is a rule of the universe

by allfrank on May 7, 2008 9:33 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

does remind me

of 1993, with the wildcard coming in 1994…1997 where the team with the worst record got to open the playoffs with 2 games at home…how much I hate teh dodgers….

by tyrannoman on May 8, 2008 8:07 AM PDT up reply reply 0 recs

Don’t see the fascination with Posey—Draft report has his arm grading out as below average and he was a decent if not spectacular hitter until this year. I guess he’d do OK as Pablito’s backup.

Please don’t draft Hosmer. High School Players are just so unprojectable and there’s no fall back if his bat doesn’t play at first.

I’d say if we can get any of the top four … pounce! Otherwise Alonso or Smoak. At least College Bats usually project pretty well and we’re hurting for power. Beckham just didn’t really hit until this year either.

by Change Up on May 7, 2008 7:06 PM PDT reply reply 0 recs

from what I’ve read, Posey shows plus defensive ability behind the plate despite it only being his 2nd year as a catcher. hes on the rays short list of people to take number one so if hes there at 5 i would definitely take him

waiting for 2011....

by Osama91w9 on May 7, 2008 7:37 PM PDT reply reply 0 recs

Alvarez would be nice. Just saying.

by tyrannoman on May 8, 2008 8:08 AM PDT reply reply 0 recs

Obligatory

Mention in draft thread that I guarantee the Giants will take a pitcher with their first pick

FIRE BRIAN SABEAN

by zenbitz on May 8, 2008 9:46 AM PDT reply reply 0 recs

My Top 5 priority list...

1. Pedro Alvarez (Unlikely to fall, but if he does, get him!)
2. Justin Smoak (I love the switch hitter. He shouldn’t need to ever give it up)
3. Brian Matusz (Legitimate polished pitcher. He’s as sure a thing as there is in this draft…can’t pass that up.)
4. Yonder Alonso (Tough choice between him and Matusz for #3, but conditioning makes me push him [slightly] down.)
5. Aaron Crow (I hate to say it, but the other position players just don’t have the same value. The Giants can make Crow work very nicely.)

There are a few guys I’d stay away from…

1) Buster Posey. Yikes, he’s being talked about as #1 overall? He’s a legitimate catcher, but as a hitter, I wouldn’t take him in the top ten. Very little projectible power with his batspeed, and not the best approach.

2. Either Beckham. Gordon is a very good college player, but I don’t see him being special in the pros. That, and a possible need to move to second, where the Giants have a lot of options in the low and high minors make him a poor value. Tim obviously has the ceiling, but he’s got a loooong ways to go before he reaches it, and there’s no guarantee he will. With a lot of surer things probably available at #5, and the Giants not being in a position to wait, let him be a very good player elsewhere.

3. Brett Wallace. Nothing against him, he’s a good player, and he’d be a great pick….in the 8-12 range. Not at #5.

SFDugout.com is BACK! See the Top 50 Giants Prospects!

by BruteSentiment on May 8, 2008 11:06 AM PDT reply reply 0 recs

But Brute

Why assume Gordon would be moved to 2B rather than to 3B? Don’t most big, slugging SS’s get moved to 3B more often than to 2B? And, you know, we might be able to use a 3B in the next, oh, say, three or four MINUTES!

In that case, the question becomes who do you prefer at 3B: Alonso or G. Beckham? Considering the conditioning concerns about Alonso, I think Gordon Beckham is the best choice.

I agree Matusz is a better selection than Crow, but neither has the upside (imho) of G. Beckham, Smoak, Alvarez, or even Alonso or Posey.

Your 2011 SF Giants: the 2008 Augusta Greenjackets!

by Lyle on May 8, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply reply 0 recs