MLB 2009 First Year Player Draft
by wilriv21 on Apr 23, 2009 12:32 PM PDT
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PrintOn June 9th and 10th MLB will hold it annual First Year Player draft.. This years draft is considered to feature three top hitters (Ackley, Green and Tate) and plenty of pitching. The Giants will have the sixth pick in the draft.
Draft Order
1. Washington Nationals
2. Seattle Mariners
3. San Diego Padres
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Baltimore Orioles
6. San Francisco Giants
The consensus #1 pick is RHP Stephen Strasburg. Most talent evaluators agree that not only will Strasburg be the top prospect in the game immediately after signing, but that he is nearly major league ready right now. The Nationals President Stan Kasten believes his organization will draft the best player available (BPA) and will sign him. Strasburg's agent Scott Boras has thrown out the outrageous number of $50MM.
Who will be available at the sixth pick?
Should the Giants draft a pitcher?
Adding to the intrigue is that Strasburg, Ackley, Green, and Tate are represented by Boras.
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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I like Green and Tate a lot.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
Green with envy over Tate?
I too mentioned Tate and Green, but have come across a couple of things to consider.
Regarding Tate, his 4.44 speed makes him a great football prospect, as well, and I believe his father is a former NFL player. While it could be just talk or something that a large bonus could overcome, Tate seems to like the idea of playing BOTH sports in college. Signability could be an issue, although if the Giants were unable to sign the player they pick, they would receive the same draft pick in 2010.
Regarding Green, I saw where one scout said he really liked him but that he wasn’t close to being in the same category as Evan Longoria or Troy Tulowitzki. Of course I guess one could retort that few are. I would think the Giants are hoping to get a potential star or superstar at #6 though.
Tate
He’s white? And runs a 4.44?
Has he verbally committed to a college?
Donovan Tate is not white
He has committed to the University of North Carolina, but needless to say if he goes 6th in the draft he will not be playing any sport in college.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Apr 23, 2009 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Seems to be a pitcher heavy 1st round. I just hope the Giants don’t reach for a position player if Green, Ackley and Tate are gone.
by LinceCainGarnerSon on Apr 23, 2009 12:44 PM PDT reply actions
It’s nice 3 of the 5 in front of us definitely need arms. And I am of the mind the M’s can’t afford to pass up a good arm. I kind of like them odds.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
by daveinexile on Apr 23, 2009 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions
5 of the 5 teams in front of us have just as many needs as we do offensively
by LinceCainGarnerSon on Apr 23, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions
O’s are better off than us for young position talent. Jones & Markakis beat anything we got.
The Rest are varying degrees of a mess but most of them have bigger issues with their staffs than their position talent. With front of the rotation starters being the hardest thing to get I would be surprised if 3 or 4 position players go before #6. So if the Giant draft a position player I don’t think they will have to reach.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
I’d rather not have Tate with the #6 pick. I think he should go lower. Too raw. If he was Jason Heyward, or even Aaron Hicks, that would be different.
Sergio Romo: striking out professional hitters since 2005. And winner of the 2012 NL Fireman of the Year Award!
Just to stir up the pot I’ll be the first to say it. If #6 was a top rate arm that fell I would be o.k. with that. I just don’t want them reaching.
Where is my beer & chili dog?
Particularly
Particularly since he is from the state of Georgia.
We should be trading up
GIANTS BRASS!!!!
GROUGTHINK ALERT
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NO TRADE DOWN
GET SOME BATZZZ FOR IMMEDIATELY IMPACT AND TAKE A LOWER PICK
COME ON GIANNT BASS$
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 23, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I want an OF
We’ve got nice looking prospects everywhere but the OF.
by positiveuphemism on Apr 23, 2009 1:02 PM PDT reply actions
ackley ackley ackley (crosses fingers)
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Apr 23, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Ugh…this draft really isn’t very deep if he is the top OF.
by positiveuphemism on Apr 23, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
why? he’s pretty much guaranteed to hit at the big league level and get on base. his power may not be spectacular, but 20-25 HR aren’t out of the question. I’d rather take a guy like him, who’s pretty much done all he can do as a college player, than reach for a HS kid who’s all tools no skills.
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Apr 23, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Being a bit optimistic with Ackely’s power. Most, if not all, reports have Ackley at 12-15 Adios Pelotas a season. Which is more than OK because of his plus defense, hitting and OBP skills.
Scouting report doesn’t seem to high on him. Good bat, good speed, bad power, bad arm (already had Tommy John), good defense.
This is not a #6 pick OF in my mind. Especially for a guy projected to play center. He doesn’t excite me.
by positiveuphemism on Apr 23, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Who knows? I’d probably be fine with any of these guys—-none of them are overwhelming after you get past Strasburg.
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
Yeah. Its a pretty weak draft this year.
Thats why Id be pretty good with us drafting Tate.
If he signs, cool. We have a good hitting prospect.
If he doesnt, cool. We have then 6th pick to go along with whatever pick we end up with for 09, for next years draft, which should have some more skill.
just to start a discussion...
The Boras Factor is so unpredictable, it’s hard to make reasonable guesses. Here are my unreasonable guesses:
I’m assuming Washington drafts Strasburg. Only two of Seattle Top Ten prospects (BA) are pitchers, so I’d guess the Mariners should be focusing on Crow or Gibson. San Diego is in exactly the same position, and I’d expect them to take whichever pitcher the M’s didn’t grab.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore are now both committed to BPA. The Pirates have 4 pitchers in their Top Ten, although no real future stars. I could see Grant Green here, to pair with Pedro Alvarez on the same side of the INF. Or I could see Kyle Gibson. Baltimore might include Ackley in this consideration – having Ackley and Roberts atop the lineup would be pretty sweet. But if I were the Orioles I’d lean toward a pitcher. Gibson? Matzek? I think they think they are close to contending again, once Wieters joins the big club, so maybe they don’t want a HS pitcher.
If I’m right (and what are the chances of that?), then we could choose from Green, Ackley, Tate, or White. Right now, my order of preference, overall, would be:
1. Strasburg
2. Gibson
3. Green
4. Ackley
5. Crow
6. White
7. Matzek
8. Tate
With this scenario, I’d pick Green. Or White. Or Vida Blue, Bud Black, or Mordecai “3 Fingers” Brown. And then I’d try to steal Nate Silver in a later round.
Sergio Romo: striking out professional hitters since 2005. And winner of the 2012 NL Fireman of the Year Award!
I would be shocked if Kyle Gibson goes before Alex White.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Apr 23, 2009 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes
Thank you. That is merely MY order of preference. As of right now. I reserve the right to change my mind as Draft Day approaches and we get more information.
Sergio Romo: striking out professional hitters since 2005. And winner of the 2012 NL Fireman of the Year Award!
I love the idea of adding Ackley, though it’s looking more and more likely that he won’t be there. The one thing in our favor is that, other than Seattle, I could easily see every one of the other teams between the Giants and the top slot passing on him because of possible Boras bonus demands… I think he’d slot in really nicely with the prospects we’ve got going right now though.
I’m personally not as high on Green… I think he’s getting a bit too overrated because of position scarcity. Tate is an intriguing prospect, but I worry that the Giants might not have the ability to get the most out of him as a prospect— we haven’t really shown a proclivity recently for turning raw, toolsy prospects into polished major leaguers. All things being equal, if Ackley isn’t there, it might make sense to go with an arm at six… Crow or White would both sound good to me.
My top six as of right now for the Giants:
1) Strasburg
2) Ackley
3) Crow
4) Green
5) White
6) Tate
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Apr 23, 2009 1:44 PM PDT reply actions
I do not want Tate. I would have too many nightmares that he could turn out to be this guy
by LinceCainGarnerSon on Apr 23, 2009 2:04 PM PDT reply actions
he's played 9 games
and you’re calling him a bust already
Nope
I’ve been calling him a bust since they drafted. And he did play in 2008.
by LinceCainGarnerSon on Apr 23, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Where have you been calling him a bust?
On car rides back from seeing him play? With your other scout buddies? In your weekly column for a national or local publication?
I am Cameron Wood and this is my son and business partner CW Culberson.
At my house, at my office, at social events, etc.
by LinceCainGarnerSon on Apr 24, 2009 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions
He's played 60 games
Adoptive parent of Noah Lowry. Because he was awesome once, and, goddammit, he shall be awesome once again!
I hope.
Intially Omitted from Post
Finally located the Thomas Boswell Armed, But Dangerous article. It is a must read BEFORE jumping into the Pitching Pool.
"And young girls, they do get weary..."
Shouldn’t that be “wary” in the browser header: “Nationals Should Be Weary of Drafting Strasburg” … and did the editor go to the GRM School of Journalism?
Look, they’ve been drafting Strasburg all day and now they’re just tired of it, okay?
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I’m weary of Scott Boras, and I think that counts here.
"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 Apr 24, 2009 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions
“The history of baseball’s draft since it began in 1965 is unmistakable. You can project exceptional hitters with about a 50 percent success rate. You can’t project No. 1 overall pitchers at all.”
I’ve said some of this before, but it’s kind of a silly argument. First, there have been 13 pitchers selected #1 overall. It’s not exactly a gigantic sample size. And one of them, David Price, is not exactly a flop yet. So if he’s just talking about pitchers drafted #1 overall, he’s basically talking about twelve guys. And one of those twelve guys was Bryan Bullington, who nobody – the Pirates included – EVER projected as a legit #1 guy. The Pirates drafted him strictly for cheap-ass reasons.
Of the 11 other pitchers drafted #1, four were drafted before 1985. Before 1985, most of the position players selected #1 weren’t that great, either. The best of the lot was Darryl Strawberry, and there were some other good guys like Harold Baines, Rick Monday, and Floyd Bannister. But there were also NUMEROUS position players drafted #1 who flopped or were mediocre, from Shawon Dunston to Bill Almon to Steve Chillcott to Danny Goodwin, who was drafted #1 overall TWICE. In other words, prior to 1985 or so, the track record for #1 overall picks, pitchers or not, wasn’t very good.
“Strasburg, no matter how much he dominates college hitters, will probably either be a .500 pitcher with a 150-150 record, or he’ll be a bust.”
Good thing he didn’t write that sentence a few years ago when Tim Lincecum was rumored to be in consideration as he #1 pick. He might’ve ended up looking stupid or something.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
The part of the article that put me (a pitching loving fool) at pause was he then expanded to include pitchers drafted in the first five picks and their history of meh.
There are difficulties of scouting pitchers, no doubt, and there are always injury flameouts. But his conclusion – that Strasburg will suck because past #1 pitchers have often sucked – is kind of silly. First, because there have been more successes in recent years – Tim Lincecum wasn’t a top 5 pick, but as I mentioned he was considered as the #1 pick. David Price looks like he’s going to be pretty great. If I had more time, I’m sure I could come up with a few more examples.
Saying the Nationals shouldn’t draft Strasburg based on the track record of some other top pitching prospects is like looking at the Giants’ record of drafting hitters and saying that they never should’ve drafted Posey because he’ll automatically suck because Tony Torcato, Calvin Murray, and Adam Hzydu did.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
No No
Boswell does not say the Nationals should not sign Strasburg. He says if the price is similar to Price and Prior go ahead but do not break the bank on him. He just states that history does not bode well for selecting pitchers with a high pick and safer to select a hitter with a high pick.
Okay, it’s been a few weeks since I read through the whole article so I’m probably misremembering.
In that case, it’s unlikely he’ll get the money he’s demanding, although I’m sure he’ll do just fine. Witness Buster Posey.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
And also
If Darin Erstad counts as “useful,” then so do Ben McDonald, Andy Benes, Mike Moore, Tim Belcher, and Kris Benson.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Wait…someone was drafted #1 overall twice? Why wouldn’t he sign the first time?
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Kevin Frandsen should be with the big team.
I don’t know the story behind that, but he was the #1 overall pick in 1971 and 1975.
His career line: .236 / .301 / .373. Mostly as a DH. Ouch.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Absolutely awful article
His sense of certainty and some of his basic constructs are totally unfounded.
"The BB's are out. The BB's are being arseholes to me." - Brian Wilson.
I disagree
I think it is a good article and makes his basic point: Strasburg is not worth $60 million before he even throws a professional pitch. He backs this claim up using the history of highly drafted pitchers.
by positiveuphemism on Apr 23, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Exactly. He isn’t against selecting Strasburg, he’s merely wary of the monetary cost—-which won’t be $60 million, anyway.
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
BAP please
The Giants are not in a position to focus in on a specific type of player. Strasberg won’t be there. No to Crow and Ackley. A player who is close to MLB ready would best mix with the group of MiLBers the Org already has.
Proud supporter of the Fightin' Hydrants.
by Little Napoleon on Apr 23, 2009 3:04 PM PDT reply actions
I don't get it
You want best available player, don’t want to focus on a specific type of player, but then want to try and get the most major league ready guy…..and you’re already saying no to the two guys who are the most major league ready top guys in the draft? Who exactly do you have in mind?
I would love Ackley, but If he is gone (probably), I would have no problem with Grant Green or Donovan Tate.If these guys are gone, then I guess taking a college pitcher would be better then reaching.
Proud adoptive parent of the set-up man.
This is Howry do it!
Say the draft goes
1) Strasburg
2) Ackley
3) Green
4) Tate
Who do you want to see at 6? Personally, I’d be OK with Matzek or Gibson – Crow’s and White’s mechanics are both kinda messed up, though Crow is a bit cleaner – White looks like he won’t last as a starter, partly because of repeatability (I know, that’s what everyone said about Lincecum, but I think we can all agree he’s a bit of a freak) and partly because of injuries that would crop up, and Crow’s mechanics aren’t much prettier, though more for durability concerns then repeatability
Also known to haunt as theghostoftravisdenker and theaccidentalghostofsergioromo.
by theghostofjasonellison on Apr 23, 2009 3:35 PM PDT reply actions
Do you know when Indy leagues start? he only pitched in one game last year, at least according to the cube. Will he pitch again this year and then enter the draft?
Also known to haunt as theghostoftravisdenker and theaccidentalghostofsergioromo.
by theghostofjasonellison on Apr 23, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Crow’s planning for things to go that way — with maybe a bit more in his pocket when the deal’s done. He’s already played some for the Cats, and he’ll be starting for them next spring until the June draft. Until then he’s learning to cook so he can eat healthy, hitting the gym to bulk up and looking forward to playing ball.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
Crow will be playing with the Fort Worth Cats. Their season begins early May. He will pitch for the Cats and then be drafted on June 9th.
Alex White
Each time i think of Alex White, my mind flashes to Greg Reynolds. Reynolds was solid in college, but nothing to write home about. When a players best attribute is that he is tall and has a pitcher’s body this means that I don’t want my team selecting him before round 5. I am cool with a safe pick early, but I think there needs to be some level of upside with a pick this early.
My rankings:
1)Strasburg
2) Ackley
3) Tate
4) Green
5) Matzek
6) Crow
by krukuipandclint on Apr 23, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I love me some Dustin Ackley
Not even close. Like Lincecum in 2006, I think he’s the best pure player (human division), and I’d be thrilled if he falls to at 6. Failing that, I would normally say BPA, but the GIants are so pitching heavy, that I’d hope at least one of Green and Tate are available.
Jonathan Sanchez. He's left-handed, like Barry Zito. His fastball breaks 80, unlike Zito.
They’re not really pitching heavy in the minor leagues anymore.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
As a franchise, we are.
We have (long-term assets): Cain, Lincecum, Bumgardner, Sanchez, Zito (whether we like it our not), Alderson; in terms of similar long term hitting assets, we have Sandoval, Posey, and Anvil, maybe Fred Lewis?
Listen, if there’s a huge talent gap, take the pitcher, but the if the gap is limited, I think the Giants should go ahead and take a hitter. Clearly, if none of Ackley, Green, and Tate are available, one of the top arms (Matzek, Crow, White, or Gibson) will be.
Jonathan Sanchez. He's left-handed, like Barry Zito. His fastball breaks 80, unlike Zito.
I’d include guys like Rafael Rodriguez, Roger Kieschnick, Conor Gillaspie, and Nick Noonan on the hitting side.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
all of us are just wasting our time in this discussion
We have one of the world’s foremost experts on the Major League Baseball draft as a member of this site named wcw. We should all save ourselves some typing and just have him tell us who the Giants should pick.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Apr 23, 2009 4:58 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Boras
I think the Boras affect is really going to come into play this year. A lot of teams are going to be weary of throwing out big bucks in the middle of the season with so much uncertainty looming with the economy. That being said I’m not overwhelmed by anyone other than Strasburg. So the Boras affect really wont get me too excited if any of his clients fall to 6th. I just am hoping for a solid college hitter to progress along with Angel and Buster.
Basically I’m just hoping for Ackley or Green.
Bring me the head of Barry Zito!
I’m with you.
"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 Apr 24, 2009 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Baseball America’s Prospect Plus draft rankings:
1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Alex White
3. Grant Green
4. Dustin Ackley
5. Aaron Crow
I dont know..
Not that impressed with this years draft class. None of the top hitters impress me even as much as Conor Gillaspie did before last years draft.
If the Giants had failed to sign anyone of their top picks at all the past 3 yrs it would have been a big deal to me, but if for some reason they cant sign whom ever they take first over all this year, it wont be the end of the world to have the 7th overall pick for next yrs draft class.
This really is ‘The Steven Strasburg Draft’. Not only for his great talent, but because after him there really isnt much to be excited about.
It seems like people say this year’s draft class is weak every year.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Adopted Giant: Fred "Ruthless Aggression" Lewis
1 or 2 baby!
50ish % chance!
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
also
people were saying that about the draft class last year, and it ended up being one of the stronger draft classes in recent memory.
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
A thought
A thought that crossed my mind was that in a weak draft year, a team might draft a player with no intention of signing him — so that they could in essence “trade” their current pick for the same-numbered pick next year.
To me that would seem an unfair business practice, and is just one more reason I’m surprised that teams are allowed the same pick the following year if they don’t sign their draftee in the shortened signing period.
With teams wasting their pick if they didn’t sign the player, the advantage seemed to me to be with the player, since he could re-enter the draft later. But now that the team merely postpones its pick, I think the leverage lies with the team.
If this is truly a poor draft class, I would be rather surprised if at least one team — maybe even the Giants — didn’t play hardball with its draftee and wind up either signing him on the cheap or merely defering their pick until 2010.
Maybe there’s something here I don’t know about or understand, but it seems to me that if the Players Association bargained away this right for teams to get a replacement pick, they didn’t show much foresight. And that would seem unlikely.
I think
I am not a 100% sure, but I don’t think a team can not sign their selected slot for 2 years in a row and still get a new pick. By giving the same pick the next year this will really keep bonuses at a lower level. Before when the player was the only party that could ask for the world or walk away, he had too much pull in the negotiations. However, with the team being able to stop negotiating and not losing the pick entirely (get the same 1 next year) this should lower the total prices of signing a player and level the bargaining power between the 2 parties. This should be used as a strategy but be aware that you will probably have to overpay next year on that same pick because the player holds all the marbles again.
by krukuipandclint on Apr 23, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions
I think you are right
I think you’re right on all counts here. And in that second year the leverage certainly does revert back to the player.
But I wonder if teams truly realize that the leverage is theirs under the new rule — at least for the first year.
For instance, the Giants gave Buster Posey the highest bonus in draft history. Did they truly need to do so?
Let’s suppose the Giants hadn’t signed Buster. They would now enjoy back-to-back high picks in the 2009 draft. How about Buster? Well, he would have had the options of going back to Florida State and hoping he didn’t suffer a fall-off from his Golden Spikes season, play in an indepent or foreign league, or take a year off. It seems to me that Buster’s risk level was higher than that of the Giants.
I think the Giants believed (and still believe) Buster to be a special talent, which is why I think they went ahead and signed him at the high cost. That would be particularly true if they felt the 2009 draft would be a weak one.
But if 2009 is indeed a weak draft and 2010 is expected to be better, might the Giants not want to low-ball their #6 draft choice in hopes of being able to draft a better prospect with the #6 choice in 2010?
By the way, I have an idea that might help iron things out if teams do indeed opt to use their leverage and “trade” their present picks for the same pick a year later.
The signing deadline has been moved up. Why not hold a supplemental draft right after the signing deadline? Put the unsigned players back into the draft pool, and allow the teams who didn’t sign players to re-draft those players (with the stipulation that the team couldn’t re-draft the same player it didn’t re-sign).
If any players remain undrafted, allow other teams to draft them in the reverse order of the finish the previous season. The stipulation would be that teams which drafted a player in the supplemental draft would forfeit its first-round pick the next season. If it didn’t sign the player, the team would be eligible to reinstate its pick in the following year’s draft — but would lose the pick entirely if it didn’t sign the player it drafted then.
This would give “jilted” players another chance to be drafted, since the player would really be more at risk than the team which drafted him.
If this truly is a down draft year, it might be intriguing to see how this all plays out.
The Giants did not give Posey the highest bonus in draft history, there have been numerous higher bonuses in recent years (Rick Porcello, Mark Prior, and Mark Teixeira are a couple off the top of my head).
It is true that teams could choose a player with little or no intention of signing him but that would be unlikely for a few reasons; it’s impossible to know how good a draft class is going to be a full year ahead of time so it is possible that you would “trade” your pick for a pick in an even worse draft. Also, a team wouldn’t want to give up a full year of development time with a top talent to “trade” it for a pick 1 year later. The loss of leverage with a compensation pick is also a big concern as you mention. Having direct compensation is nice in case something goes wrong, but a team would never draft somebody with that is mind.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Apr 24, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m hoping for Ackley, but if the Giants pick a pitcher, I’m not going to question the pitcher’s awesomeness. The Giants’ brass has earned that kind of trust.
I think Ackley will be gone by No. 6. I’m thinking Grant Green has the better chance to fall, given the questions about his power. I’d love either of them, based on what I’ve read so far.
The good news is there are plenty of decent pitchers expected to be around when the Giants pick, and the organization has a great track record with young pitchers.
Just wondering
How many of you have seen any of these players play? In baseball, it’s more difficult to see these guys because most of the games aren’t televised unlike in football and basketball. I can honestly say I’ve never seen one of them play other then a film of Strasburg.
A lot of the sports channels on digital Comcast will broadcast college games. I try to catch them when I have the time.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 24, 2009 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions
I saw film of Strasburg
I saw some film of Strasburg, but I couldn’t tell how well hitters hit his pitches, since few of them did. :)
Dream scenario
Like pretty much everyone, I’d like us to take the best player available, whomever Barr and the Giants scouting staff deems worthy. I think/hope that will be Grant Green if he’s not taken in the top-5. If he’s not there, I suspect it will be a college pitcher – hopefully Gibson or Crow, who have the stuff to be dominant in the bigs, even if they are risks.
I hope Tate falls due to signability concerns so we can spend our final pick on day #1 on him (5th round?). Offer him slot money for a top-10 pick (around $2.5 to $3 million to sign, spread out over the length of the contract since he qualifies as 2-sport) to see if we can lock him up. If not, funnel that money into a big-time Latin American signing.
Taking one of the college arms allows for something else – it makes trading a big-time pitcher much, much more palatable. We could deal two of Cain, Alderson and Sanchez and still have a future rotation of Lincecum, Bumgarner, (remaining untraded pitcher), Zito, other – which is pretty darn impressive. The talent we could get back from a Sanchez/Alderson package would be impressive.
Still the loving, adoptive father of Hector Sanchez. And who doesn't love switch-hitting catchers with power and patience?
Here is a unique website that list/links to a ton of mock drafts. Most have interesting picks for the Giants at #6.
From Keith Law Chat: Question about Tanner Scheppers
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Eddie (Fresno): Do you think Tanner Scheppers will bust his way into the top 5?
SportsNation Keith Law: Yes. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him go 2, 4, or 5. Haven’t heard him in San Diego’s mix – popular rumors there are Tate, Gibson, and Green.
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