Community Mock Draft

[mrkupe]

John Sickels' blog on the minor leagues (www.minorleagueball.com) will be holding a community mock draft for the 2005 MLB draft. Individuals have selected a specific team to represent in the draft as their 'scouting director'.

 

I have selected the White Sox. Here's where all of you come in . . .

 

I want your thoughts, ideas, concepts, etc. on who YOU think would be appropriate for the White Sox to pick. The draft will run 5 rounds, and I would appreciate anything that you might have to add, but I imagine most of you are most familiar with potential top prospects and therefore the first round is what you can help with.

 

Either add your thoughts here or proceed to minorleagueball.com, register, and search 'recent diary entries' for MOD: White Sox and put your thoughts there.

 

Thanks, and let's make it great.

[Heads22]

The more I hear, and the more I read, the more I'm pulling for Cesar Carillo.

 

You can never, ever, have enough pitching

 

Excluding Cesar, a middle infielder of some sort. Tuloetc. also sounds promising.

[Heads22]

Pinned for posting pleasure.

[farmteam]

The more I hear, and the more I read, the more I'm pulling for Cesar Carillo.

 

You can never, ever, have enough pitching

 

Excluding Cesar, a middle infielder of some sort. Tuloetc. also sounds promising.

 

Never gonna happen. Tulo (it's Troy Tulowitzki, by the way) is probably gonna go to the Mariners at 3. Unless, of course, the Royals go for Maybin, and then the Mariners take Gordon, in which case Tulo could fall a little, but probably not all the way to 15.

[Palehosefan]

I'm still hoping for Brandon Snyder. He's supposedly excellent defensively at both catcher and shortstop and has nice projectablity on his bat. This is from BA.

 

"27. Brandon Snyder, c-ss, Westfield HS, Centreville, Va.

Upton and this two-way standout are centerpieces of the richest draft crop in Virginia history "

[mrkupe]

Cesar's an interesting one, although I'm concerned that scouts' views of him have been a bit overly favorable due to his remarkable unbeaten streak. At the same time, I do like what he offers, and he fits all the criteria of the White Sox that we've seen in recent first rounders (college player, expected to be a relatively fast mover, not represented by Boras, etc.). I also agree on the pitching remark, although I could see the 'Boras factor' in the draft taking Cesar out of play pretty fast.

 

The other guy you speak of is Troy Tulowski (sp.) of Long Beach State University. Lots of mixed opinions on this guy. He could go as high as 3rd to Seattle, although I think a drop is possible (but to 15, I'd be very skeptical). I'm not totally certain that he would even be regarded as the optimal choice at shortstop for the White Sox, as Pennington out of Texas A&M would probably come cheaper if he's available and has the sort of scrappy attitude that the Sox seem to covet these days.

[mrkupe]

I'm still hoping for Brandon Snyder. He's supposedly excellent defensively at both catcher and shortstop and has nice projectablity on his bat. This is from BA.

 

"27. Brandon Snyder, c-ss, Westfield HS, Centreville, Va.

Upton and this two-way standout are centerpieces of the richest draft crop in Virginia history "

 

 

It sounds to me like scouts are skeptical of Snyder's ability to play shortstop as a pro in any case, but I really can't see him not going as a catcher, especially with the aforementioned offensive potential that he boasts.

 

Not that the White Sox couldn't use a catcher, of course.

[DBAHO]

I think Carillo has got Kris Honel written all over him, so I don't want to Sox to make that pick there.

 

Pennington or Snyder I would be happy with at this stage.

[mrkupe]

I think Carillo has got Kris Honel written all over him, so I don't want to Sox to make that pick there.

 

Pennington or Snyder I would be happy with at this stage.

 

 

Carillo reminds you of Kris Honel? That's the first time I've heard anything like that . . .care to elaborate for me?

 

Honel was a high school guy who had average velocity from the get-go, poor makeup and obviously more than a few control problems. Carillo is a college guy who shows solid velocity at an older age (with above-average velocity at times) and is regarded as having very impressive makeup. If there's something here though, I'd love to hear it.

[DBAHO]

Carillo reminds you of Kris Honel? That's the first time I've heard anything like that . . .care to elaborate for me?

 

Honel was a high school guy who had average velocity from the get-go, poor makeup and obviously more than a few control problems. Carillo is a college guy who shows solid velocity at an older age (with above-average velocity at times) and is regarded as having very impressive makeup. If there's something here though, I'd love to hear it.

This is just my opinion, but Carillo doesn't seem to have a lot of upside from where he is now. Sure his velocity is ok, but it's still not that great. I'd just like for us to select someone at #15 with a bit more upside, but hey that's just me.

[DBAHO]

Other guys worth considering;

Chris Volstad - RHP

Mark Pawelek - LHP

C.J Henry - SS

John Mayberry - 1B

Matt Torra - RHP

Mark McCormick - RHP

 

To me I'd prefer the Sox take a chance on a high school guy with a bigger upside than a college guy with more polish at this stage. The Sox have got enough good arms in their systems, that they can probably afford to take more of a chance, if you get what I mean.

[Chisoxfn]

Cesar's an interesting one, although I'm concerned that scouts' views of him have been a bit overly favorable due to his remarkable unbeaten streak. At the same time, I do like what he offers, and he fits all the criteria of the White Sox that we've seen in recent first rounders (college player, expected to be a relatively fast mover, not represented by Boras, etc.). I also agree on the pitching remark, although I could see the 'Boras factor' in the draft taking Cesar out of play pretty fast.

 

The other guy you speak of is Troy Tulowski (sp.) of Long Beach State University. Lots of mixed opinions on this guy. He could go as high as 3rd to Seattle, although I think a drop is possible (but to 15, I'd be very skeptical). I'm not totally certain that he would even be regarded as the optimal choice at shortstop for the White Sox, as Pennington out of Texas A&M would probably come cheaper if he's available and has the sort of scrappy attitude that the Sox seem to covet these days.

Pennington is the guy I like but as of now it seems he'd be a bit of a reach. However, the Sox haven't been shy to grab there guy, regardless of him potentially being projected a few pegs down.

 

One things for certain they have a few options and they center around a starting pitcher, shortstop, or catcher. This years catcher crop is entirely ugly in my book, at least in the early rounds. No way is Jeff Clement worth a 1st round pick. If you want power, wait till the 3th-6th round and draft Jeff Larish. He's got more power than Clement and Clement isn't what I'd call a good defensive catcher, hell he's not even mediocre. My two cents are that eventually he'll be moved to another position.

 

Pitching wise...no doubt in my mind it comes down to three guys: Cesar, Townsend, and Bogsuvic. All three are talented guys. Bog is a really talented lefty who I think is better than Ricky Romero who should go a bit better (Romero did outduel him in a game this year @ Tulane) and I love Townsends arm, but he won't be as fast of a mover considering he'll need to get back in pitching shape.

 

Cesar doesn't do one thing amazing, but he does a lot of things well and sometimes I think thats better than doing one thing amazing. He has good command, 3 quality pitches, and a good head on his shoulders.

 

If the Sox really wanted to reach, they could get a guy I love in Ramos (LBSU) but its not going to happen.

 

By the way, welcome aboard...this is a fun idea and I'm gonna have to check out Sickels site and see how this thing goes.

[mrkupe]

Other guys worth considering;

Chris Volstad - RHP

Mark Pawelek - LHP

C.J Henry - SS

John Mayberry - 1B

Matt Torra - RHP

Mark McCormick - RHP

 

To me I'd prefer the Sox take a chance on a high school guy with a bigger upside than a college guy with more polish at this stage. The Sox have got enough good arms in their systems, that they can probably afford to take more of a chance, if you get what I mean.

 

 

McCormick is a Boras guy I believe. Mayberry kinda scares me. I'm intrigued by the rest of the guys.

[Chisoxfn]

Other guys worth considering;

Chris Volstad - RHP

Mark Pawelek - LHP

C.J Henry - SS

John Mayberry - 1B

Matt Torra - RHP

Mark McCormick - RHP

 

To me I'd prefer the Sox take a chance on a high school guy with a bigger upside than a college guy with more polish at this stage. The Sox have got enough good arms in their systems, that they can probably afford to take more of a chance, if you get what I mean.

Not I, this crop is very thin when it comes to high school pitchers, at least in the early stages. Heck this draft isn't even that strong in the early rounds when it comes to pitching.

 

As far as I'm concerned Carillo is as safe a pick as any and upside is an overrated word. It seems to be used for guys that don't know how to play the game and often times its more of an excuse for drafting a guy who hasn't yet succeeded.

 

I understand sometimes you just look at a guys arm and projectability and drool, but in the 1st round I don't think thats whats best. Your going to be investing a good amount of money and your going to want to find a guy with good stuff, but he better have a good head on his shoulders (if he doesn't the money could get to his head and a lot of other things could happen) and personally I like guys with command.

 

If the best guy on the board is a high school pitcher you take him and that could very well happen with the recent trend of college pitchers being favored by GM's. In that case do what DePodesta did last year, he noticed that trend and realized the better values were the guys out of high school.

 

But as far as I'm concerned, there is zero resemblance to Honel/Carillo. Carillo has a good fastball (in the low 90's and can get it up a little higher every once in a while...don't see him adding anything to the heater) plus he has a nice curve and changeup and very good command. He's played against some of the best in college baseball and lost just a game.

 

Honel on the other hand had an upper 80's fastball and one of the sickest knuckle curves I ever saw. He also had good command and had a decent changeup. I guess (and this is cause I don't nkow the guy or his workout routines, only know what I've heard) is that he got extremely cocky and maybe lazy (no idea whether true or not).

[Chisoxfn]

McCormick is a Boras guy I believe. Mayberry kinda scares me. I'm intrigued by the rest of the guys.

Ya, McCormick has some talent but being a Boras guy he's not going to the Sox. I wish I had my notes near me cause I may be confusing McCormick for someone else, but if he's who I think he is he's not gonna be on the board anyway (well unless Boras demands cause him to slide past the Sox). He's supposed to be a top 10 pitcher IIRC (but I may be mixing him up with one of Boras other clients cause this year he has a very very strong client base in regards to the draft).

 

If the Sox were to take a shot at a Boras client, I'd want it to be Tyler Greene in the 3rd. Greene is a darn good prospect, who will likely go in the supplemental to 2nd round, but I've seen a few places slide him into the 3rd.

[mrkupe]

Various comments:

 

For what it's worth, Clement has done a nice job of improving his defense this year. While it's a different story over the course of a pro season, it does give some hope for him. Thing that concerns me with him is that his value as a hitter is largely derived from his power. If he remains a catcher, I think his offensive capabilities will greatly diminish pretty rapidly, although I wouldn't mind being wrong there.

 

 

Tyler Greene is a solid prospect, but the rumor has it that he's going to ask for a ton of money no matter where he's drafted, and nobody really likes him THAT much. Certainly not the White Sox for their 3rd round pick (remember, this draft is going 5 rounds, so the potential to draft Greene could very well be there).

 

Bogie's an interesting name to bring up, given that he's still a bit raw as a pitcher due to his two-way play. Reminds me of Josh Fields last year, another guy who (despite a different situation) had the combination of college experience and significantly untapped upside.

[Chisoxfn]

Various comments:

 

For what it's worth, Clement has done a nice job of improving his defense this year. While it's a different story over the course of a pro season, it does give some hope for him. Thing that concerns me with him is that his value as a hitter is largely derived from his power. If he remains a catcher, I think his offensive capabilities will greatly diminish pretty rapidly, although I wouldn't mind being wrong there.

Tyler Greene is a solid prospect, but the rumor has it that he's going to ask for a ton of money no matter where he's drafted, and nobody really likes him THAT much. Certainly not the White Sox for their 3rd round pick (remember, this draft is going 5 rounds, so the potential to draft Greene could very well be there).

 

Bogie's an interesting name to bring up, given that he's still a bit raw as a pitcher due to his two-way play. Reminds me of Josh Fields last year, another guy who (despite a different situation) had the combination of college experience and significantly untapped upside.

When it comes to USC, the only guy I want is Ian Kennedy. That kid is a total stud and next year, if he goes pro (I'm pretty sure he'll be eligible next year) he'll go very very high. He's filthy, flat filthy.

 

I just don't like Clement. I think he's the most overrated player in the draft. He's had some good years offensively, but the only reason he gets talked about the way he does is because he plays catcher. Anywhere else and he's just average in comparison. Larish is just as capable and has tons more power. It just happens Clement plays catcher and while he has improved, he'd be Mike Piazza behind the plate (and I highly doubt he'll ever hit to Piazza's extent).

 

Bogie is probably the guy I'd go with. Him or Cesar (if were talking pitcher, but I'd still at least look at the kid from A&M at SS...I like him a lot). I agree with your assesment on Greene as well, but if the Sox felt they had a shot, than I'd consider it. However I get the sneaking feeling you'll see the Sox draft a guy who slid and will offer him a little more than 3rd round money to get him in. Sox have never been cheap in the draft, but they also make damn sure that they sign there 1st 20 guys (and they typically do a very good job of getting their early picks signed).

 

All that being said, if Townsend is on the board...thats my guy.

[danman31]

I think Carillo has got Kris Honel written all over him, so I don't want to Sox to make that pick there.

I think you are making this comparison because of the fact that Carillo is a local kid like Honel and both are pretty thin guys. Some think the Sox drafted Honel a bit higher because he was a local product, which could again be a factor with Carillo. Honel has had injuries for whatever reason and that is where the thin part plays a factor. I'm not sure I completely agree with that, but I think that's what DBAH0 is getting at.

 

I haven't read all the scouting reports and info on the draft prospects yet, but from what I have seen I seem to like Bogusevic and Tulowitzki the most and I'm not sure either will be there for us. I'd love to take a chance of Townsend. He's become more risky with a year off, but I think it would be worth it. Carrillo looks like a safety pick that I wouldn't mind, but I like the others better.

 

We should try something like this here. Have our draft experts pick a team or probably multiple teams because I don't think we have 30 people that would be interested and knowledgable enough for this. Then they just pick the best player on the board with a little to do with how teams spend money and other factors that teams may go after.

[dasox24]

This is just my opinion, but Carillo doesn't seem to have a lot of upside from where he is now. Sure his velocity is ok, but it's still not that great. I'd just like for us to select someone at #15 with a bit more upside, but hey that's just me.

I have to totally agree here. Carillo just doesn't, imo, have much upside, and has a tiny frame, which isn't good for him holding up for the long run. I have a feeling that he'll at best be a 4 or 5 starter, or a long reliever, and I don't think that's what we want to spend a 1st round pick on, especially since we don't have any supp. picks or a 2nd rounder.

 

Also, it's kind of weird for me to be against the guy that's good at everything, but not awesome at one thing b/c that's what my lacrosse coaches tell me I am. They know I'm never gonna be All-State or lead the team in goals, but I play a ton b/c I'm smart on the field and do everything well. I get a couple goals here and there, get some assists, play good defense, etc. But, if there was a lacrosse draft for all the TN high schools, I wouldn't expect to be drafted in round 1 b/c I know that I'm not a "franchise" player, which you want a 1st rounder to be. I would rather take the "safe" player in rounds 3-5 that's gonna do stuff well, but be a "role" player to that 1st round "franchise" player.

Edited May 28, 2005 by dasox24

[farmteam]

Just to clarify, Pawelek is a Boras guy too.

[Chisoxfn]

I think you are making this comparison because of the fact that Carillo is a local kid like Honel and both are pretty thin guys. Some think the Sox drafted Honel a bit higher because he was a local product, which could again be a factor with Carillo. Honel has had injuries for whatever reason and that is where the thin part plays a factor. I'm not sure I completely agree with that, but I think that's what DBAH0 is getting at.

 

I haven't read all the scouting reports and info on the draft prospects yet, but from what I have seen I seem to like Bogusevic and Tulowitzki the most and I'm not sure either will be there for us. I'd love to take a chance of Townsend. He's become more risky with a year off, but I think it would be worth it. Carrillo looks like a safety pick that I wouldn't mind, but I like the others better.

 

We should try something like this here. Have our draft experts pick a team or probably multiple teams because I don't think we have 30 people that would be interested and knowledgable enough for this. Then they just pick the best player on the board with a little to do with how teams spend money and other factors that teams may go after.

I agree with that assessment on the most part Dan. Just one thing, Honel isn't a small guy. He may of been when the Sox drafted him but I definately wouldn't call him thin.

[dasox24]

Here's who'd I consider in-

Round 1 (in this order):

Brian Bogusevic

Matt Torra

Wade Townsend

C.J. Henry

Cliff Pennington

Stephen Head

 

Round 3 (in this order):

Tyler Green (if we're gonna spend the $$$)

Eli Iorg- OF- U of Tenn.

Donald Veal - LHP - Pima CC (Ariz.)

Alan Horne- RHP- U of Florida (Former 1st Rounder by Cleveland; great stuff; good, not great #'s; good size)

 

 

Round 4 (in this order):

Mark Holliman- RHP- Ole Miss

Josh Bell- C- Auburn

Jeff Larish- 1B/OF- Ariz. St.

Brian Pettway- 1B- Ole Miss

Chris Getz- 2B/SS- U of Mich.

 

Round 5 (in this order):

Jeff Larish

Chris Robinson- C- Illinois

Chris Getz

[Rowand44]

I've started to really like Carillo. Maybe he doesn't have dynamite stuff but I love the fact that he has a great mental makeup to me because he does have solid stuff(just not outstanding) with the smarts to pitch in the majors he could be a pitcher that shoots up through the minors and can be a very solid pitcher, jmo though.

[doUrememberwhen]

Just a quick question. Whos the best polished hitter of the guys we could be considering?

[danman31]

Any interest in a mock first round draft where everybody takes a player or 2 and picks a guy for each team?