2008 Amateur draft

[Flash Tizzle]

Even if we're at the top of the draft...the odds of us getting anyone who is a legit option for 08/09 is almost zero, and it'd probably be fairly silly to sign someone to a contract (a-la Andrew Miller) requiring they come up and start their arb clock anyway.

 

So, if we're looking at a top-3 pick, I think you have to take into account where the holes will be after about 2-3 years down the road, because that's where that player's impact might appear. And if you look 2-3 years down the road, you do see names like De Los Santos and Poreda on the horizon...along with guys like Gio, Egbert, Buehrle, Danks, and Vazquez...which suggests to me that there's still a line forming to get into the rotation.

I didn't mean to suggest whomever is selected, if they're a pitcher, will be available for 2008/09. I was merely addressing your original post where you suggested our collection of SP prospects gives lower priority to drafting a pitcher in the first round. IMO, the list is four deep with only two available within the immediate future. If a starting pitcher is selected and has a fast track to the majors, they may be alongside Poreda/DLS.

 

It'd be in a our best interests to solidfy some of the positions you mention, such as SS, C, or an OF position; but if there's no one worth taking with a Top 3 selection, no use overdrafting to fill the need. Take the best player available. If they're talented and fit our needs, great.

 

 

[Rowand44]

picking by position only, I'd take the 1B. By the time he would be projected to be big-league ready, Paulie could be moved to DH.

 

We've had/have plenty of OF prospects in the system. Same with Pitchers. Assuming Fields is the 3B from 2009-on, then I would think 1B/2B/SS/C would be position needs.

You don't draft by position. You take the best player available.

[RockRaines]

I completely agree with balta here. You have to go with the best postional player, and it looks like the 3B. We also need a player who has patience at the plate and OBP

[daa84]

Do people here think Alvarez could play a decent SS?

not at all.....ive seen him play dozens of times and i think hell have to move to the OF or 1b....others think he can stay at 3b...he certainly has the arm...but hes just not a very polished fielder

[greg775]

The White Sox need to go overseas and get a Dice K type if they are serious about winning.

Also sign free agents galore.

The draft is a crapshoot.

[BearSox]

The White Sox need to go overseas and get a Dice K type if they are serious about winning.

Also sign free agents galore.

The draft is a crapshoot.

 

Yep the draf is a crapshoot... I mean how many players in the majors have actually even been drafted?

[RME JICO]

Here is a list: http://soxprospects.wikispaces.com/2008+Draft+Watch

 

Wrong Sox, but some info about available players.

[Palehosefan]

Harold Martinez could end up challenging for the 1st pick in the draft. If he continues to develop he will inevitably be compared to AROD and will be hard to pass up. He would be a nice consolation prize if we can't get Pedro.

[ZoomSlowik]

Harold Martinez could end up challenging for the 1st pick in the draft. If he continues to develop he will inevitably be compared to AROD and will be hard to pass up. He would be a nice consolation prize if we can't get Pedro.

 

That was the guy I was trying to remember that they were talking about in that ESPN article. You never know, with a big year, especially with more scouts following him this year, it's conceivable.

[BearSox]

My big board right now:

 

1. Pedro Alvarez

2. Justin Smoak

[BearSox]

Damn, I didn't know Howie Long had a son who is a top MLB draft prospect. I knew he had a son who is a top prospect at DE for the NFL draft next year.

[Vance Law]

I did an interesting unscientific analysis/look-see into the careers of players based on where they were drafted. Looked at position players drafted in the 1st round, picks 1 through 10. Looked solely at whether or not the player got 3000 at bats in his career, 1977 - 2003 (for young players drafted in the 2000s, I gave the benefit of the doubt on my own judgement for players like Delmon Young, Alex Gordon, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez that they would reach 3000).

 

The major outlier was the 1st overall pick in the draft. Since 1977 18 position players drafted, only 2 did not reach 3000 at bats, and none since Shawn Abner in 1984. Like 11%. Picks 2 and 3 were around 41% that did not reach 3000 at bats. After that, on down to pick 10, they were all between 50% and 70% not reaching 3000 at bats. The vast majority of those that did not reach 3000 at bats in the big leagues, did not even reach 1000 at bats. Just found that interesting.

 

Redskins quarterback Jay Schroeder was drafted 3rd by the Blue Jays in 1979. Goodnight.

[Flash Tizzle]

I did an interesting unscientific analysis/look-see into the careers of players based on where they were drafted. Looked at position players drafted in the 1st round, picks 1 through 10. Looked solely at whether or not the player got 3000 at bats in his career, 1977 - 2003 (for young players drafted in the 2000s, I gave the benefit of the doubt on my own judgement for players like Delmon Young, Alex Gordon, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez that they would reach 3000).

 

The major outlier was the 1st overall pick in the draft. Since 1977 18 position players drafted, only 2 did not reach 3000 at bats, and none since Shawn Abner in 1984. Like 11%. Picks 2 and 3 were around 41% that did not reach 3000 at bats. After that, on down to pick 10, they were all between 50% and 70% not reaching 3000 at bats. The vast majority of those that did not reach 3000 at bats in the big leagues, did not even reach 1000 at bats. Just found that interesting.

 

Redskins quarterback Jay Schroeder was drafted 3rd by the Blue Jays in 1979. Goodnight.

Therefore, based upon your limited research, our best bet of obtaining a player capable of providing 3000 ABs is to have the first overall selection. Only one way to do that....

[witesoxfan]

You don't draft by position. You take the best player available.

 

People also seem not to remember the name Chris Carter...perhaps it's because it's a common name, perhaps it's because he's in low-A, or perhaps it's simply because there are a million ways to get an .800 OPS out of the 1B position. Dmitri Young and Carlos Pena were both signed to MLC's before the season...you don't find 2 diamonds in the rough quite like that in every free agency in the same position, but 1Bman are not hard to acquire. If I were looking to draft a 1Bman, it better be someone who projects to be Prince Fielder or better within 3 years.

 

 

[sayitaintso]

Therefore, based upon your limited research, our best bet of obtaining a player capable of providing 3000 ABs is to have the first overall selection. Only one way to do that....

From the looks of our play as of late, i think we should have that #1 pick almost locked in if tampa just wins about 5-9 more games.

[Chisoxfn]

Pedro Alvarez. I don't even want to think of Smoat as of this moment. I'm also curious to see what sort of prep players emerge.

 

Although I was incredibly dissapointed when the O's came to terms with there #1 draft pick (absolutely stud catcher) as I would have gladly taken him with our first overall pick.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Keith Law has a top-20 preview on ESPN Insider. I won't post the whole thing, but here were his top 5:

 

1) OF Isaac Galloway (Los Osos HS, CA)

2) OF Aaron Hicks (Wilson HS, CA) (think he's also a pitcher)

3) Justin Smoak, 1B, University of South Carolina

4) Brian Matusz, SP, University of San Diego

5) Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt

 

He seems to like the high schoolers, even though from what I've read/heard Alvarez is the current favorite for #1.

 

Also, he mentions Jordan Danks at #20. I'm somewhat worried that we're going to take him, as we have drafted him before and seem to like him. If he has a big year there's nothing wrong with that necessarily, but thus far he's projected as more of a mid-1st pick that we might take because we're confident he'd sign.

 

Also, he's another article (blatantly stolen from an old thread in FutureSox):

 

Old thread with MLB.com artile

Keep in mind that this is going to change DRASTICALLY between now and then, some guys are going to move up/down based on performance, and probably at least one guy that wasn't mentioned will shoot up the draft boards or come out of nowhere to be a high pick (especially for the high schoolers).

 

Edit- My bad, link no good, changed it to the Soxtalk one (about 3 posts down).

 

Suprised to see he has Alvarez #5. I know one of the BA guys said Alvarez would have been the first pick this year.

 

I just have a feeling the Sox will take someone that's signable.

 

[beautox]

i posted this over at SSS thought id repost here.

 

I see our only competition for Alvarez as Baltimore; and here is why:

 

Tampa Bay has Evan Longoria looking to break into the hot corner out of ST next year, with Akinori Iwamura moving to an MI spot, possibly SS hes got an amazing glove and above average arm at 3B, he could be average to slightly above at SS.

 

Florida still has Miguel and if they ever get a new stadium they'll lock him up long term to play 3B so long as he doesn't eat him self out of it, he should be a fixture there for the foreseeable future. If not they just drafted Matt Dominguez incase they can't keep Miguel or he needs to be moved to 1B/LF.

 

Pittsburgh has Neil Walker who since being moved from behind the dish has gotten better and has been able to focus more on his bat and should be ready for the pirates in the next year and a half.

 

That brings us to Baltimore they've got Bill Rowell who is still a bit away but has alot of promise, in the interm they've got mora and huff at 3B, so they strike me as the only team that would pick him ahead of us seeing how their FO is horrible. They've taken two catchers over the past three years in Brandon Snyder & Matt Wieters.

[farmteam]

i posted this over at SSS thought id repost here.

 

I see our only competition for Alvarez as Baltimore; and here is why:

 

Tampa Bay has Evan Longoria looking to break into the hot corner out of ST next year, with Akinori Iwamura moving to an MI spot, possibly SS hes got an amazing glove and above average arm at 3B, he could be average to slightly above at SS.

 

Florida still has Miguel and if they ever get a new stadium they'll lock him up long term to play 3B so long as he doesn't eat him self out of it, he should be a fixture there for the foreseeable future. If not they just drafted Matt Dominguez incase they can't keep Miguel or he needs to be moved to 1B/LF.

 

Pittsburgh has Neil Walker who since being moved from behind the dish has gotten better and has been able to focus more on his bat and should be ready for the pirates in the next year and a half.

 

That brings us to Baltimore they've got Bill Rowell who is still a bit away but has alot of promise, in the interm they've got mora and huff at 3B, so they strike me as the only team that would pick him ahead of us seeing how their FO is horrible. They've taken two catchers over the past three years in Brandon Snyder & Matt Wieters.

 

Perhaps, but in the baseball draft, you always take the best player available regardless of position.

 

[SoxAce]

Perhaps, but in the baseball draft, you always take the best player available regardless of position.

 

Or just move him to another position (I.E. 1B/LF) considering Alverez isn't what you call a great defensive 3rd baseman (I've read average from minor league reports)

[Rowand44]

i posted this over at SSS thought id repost here.

 

I see our only competition for Alvarez as Baltimore; and here is why:

 

Tampa Bay has Evan Longoria looking to break into the hot corner out of ST next year, with Akinori Iwamura moving to an MI spot, possibly SS hes got an amazing glove and above average arm at 3B, he could be average to slightly above at SS.

 

Florida still has Miguel and if they ever get a new stadium they'll lock him up long term to play 3B so long as he doesn't eat him self out of it, he should be a fixture there for the foreseeable future. If not they just drafted Matt Dominguez incase they can't keep Miguel or he needs to be moved to 1B/LF.

 

Pittsburgh has Neil Walker who since being moved from behind the dish has gotten better and has been able to focus more on his bat and should be ready for the pirates in the next year and a half.

 

That brings us to Baltimore they've got Bill Rowell who is still a bit away but has alot of promise, in the interm they've got mora and huff at 3B, so they strike me as the only team that would pick him ahead of us seeing how their FO is horrible. They've taken two catchers over the past three years in Brandon Snyder & Matt Wieters.

None of that matters. Best available player in the MLB draft, that's all that matters.

 

[kapkomet]

Perhaps, but in the baseball draft, you always take the best player available regardless of position.

Unless you're the Sox, and then you take the "easiest signing".

[southsider2k5]

Unless you're the Sox, and then you take the "easiest signing".

 

Not easiest. Anybody is easy if you throw a ton of money at them.

[fathom]

FWIW, Tampa loves Alvarez, and think of him as their 1B of the future.

[dasox24]

Here is a list: http://soxprospects.wikispaces.com/2008+Draft+Watch

 

Wrong Sox, but some info about available players.

Anyone notice that #100 on that list is Daniel Ruettiger's (aka Rudy) nephew? Can't go wrong with him on the South side (in a later round of course). Also, I went to high school with #74, Logan Forsythe, so it would be awesome if we drafted him. He's a 3B/1B for Arkansas.

Edited September 7, 2007 by dasox24