2014 Draft class

[ron883]

I can't see Rodon and Boris having THAT much power commanding a large salary. You think Rodon will go back to NC State where they pitch him to death? If picked, I don't think he will choose to go back to college. The sox should be able to give slightly over the slot money and get him. Promising him the fast track to the majors, just like sale, could encourage him even more to sign for around slot.

[Soxfest]

If the Sox draft anyone but a pitcher with the #3 pick, it will be a bad move IMO.

If it is not a pitcher somebody should be updating the old resume.

[caulfield12]

It's pretty funny that the Cubs are in a bad position now because they swept the White Sox last year. Ironic.

 

And if the White Sox go with ANYONE outside the big 3, they better have the best #44 pick in the history of the draft and sign him for overslot with the money they save on the #3 (someone like Hoffman or Fedde, for example).

 

 

Baseball America reports that Fedde, who was recently shut down with an elbow injury, will be undergoing Tommy John surgery. Like Hoffman, you can consider Fedde now off of the board for the Cubs in the first round. The top names remain high school pitchers Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, college lefty Carlos Rodon, and high school position players Nick Gordon and Alex Jackson. There are some other interesting college arms – Aaron Nola, Kyle Freeland, Brandon Finnegan, and others – but none appear to be in quite the same tier as the guys expected to go at the top (or with Hoffman/Fedde, either, apparently).

 

Like Hoffman, Fedde is considered such a strong talent that it seems unlikely he’d slip all the way to the Cubs when they pick again at number 45. If he did, of course, he would probably receive strong consideration by the Cubs, because the upside is almost certainly worth the risk of post-surgery recovery. The only question with a guy like that at a pick like that is whether he’d be signable for something close to slot (which won’t be much more than $1 million). As I said with Hoffman, it’s hard to see a guy improving his draft stock too much after a year of merely rehabbing, so the decision not to sign could be the decision to risk the recovery period and a year of pitching in independent ball before being drafted again. That’s quite a risk when stacked against $1 million and a year of rehabbing with the best possible treatment.

 

Fedde will be a name to watch, then, on that first draft day, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up at 45.

 

bleachernation.com

[Y2Jimmy0]

It's pretty funny that the Cubs are in a bad position now because they swept the White Sox last year. Ironic.

 

And if the White Sox go with ANYONE outside the big 3, they better have the best #44 pick in the history of the draft and sign him for overslot with the money they save on the #3 (someone like Hoffman or Fedde, for example).

 

 

Baseball America reports that Fedde, who was recently shut down with an elbow injury, will be undergoing Tommy John surgery. Like Hoffman, you can consider Fedde now off of the board for the Cubs in the first round. The top names remain high school pitchers Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, college lefty Carlos Rodon, and high school position players Nick Gordon and Alex Jackson. There are some other interesting college arms – Aaron Nola, Kyle Freeland, Brandon Finnegan, and others – but none appear to be in quite the same tier as the guys expected to go at the top (or with Hoffman/Fedde, either, apparently).

 

Like Hoffman, Fedde is considered such a strong talent that it seems unlikely he’d slip all the way to the Cubs when they pick again at number 45. If he did, of course, he would probably receive strong consideration by the Cubs, because the upside is almost certainly worth the risk of post-surgery recovery. The only question with a guy like that at a pick like that is whether he’d be signable for something close to slot (which won’t be much more than $1 million). As I said with Hoffman, it’s hard to see a guy improving his draft stock too much after a year of merely rehabbing, so the decision not to sign could be the decision to risk the recovery period and a year of pitching in independent ball before being drafted again. That’s quite a risk when stacked against $1 million and a year of rehabbing with the best possible treatment.

 

Fedde will be a name to watch, then, on that first draft day, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up at 45.

 

bleachernation.com

 

If Rodon, Aiken, and Kolek are all gone, I think the Cubs will take Alex Jackson at #4. People will be angry because you just can't reach for pitching if Jackson is the best player on the board.

 

[maggsmaggs]

Turner's actually stopped his free fall. He's found the power stroke he supposedly lacked. His profile strikes me as an Elvis Andrus type if he all goes well.

 

Dan Kirby ‏@DanMKirby 12h

NC State SS Trea Turner now has a .368/.489/.645 line over last 20 G w/ 7 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 18 BB, 11 SB. Heating up at right time. #MLBDraft

I meant from when he was considered a legit top-five talent. But you're right, he has been much better of late. Eight HRs on the year has been a pleasant surprise.

[Eminor3rd]

If the Sox take a position player, I want Jackson much more than Zimmer or Turner. Sox have a horrible track record at developing hitters with contact issues.

[Jake]

I love Trea Turner. He'd make sense as a "save money" pick, but I'd rather he fall to the second round by some miracle. He's had a great finish to the year, now leads his team in homers. Jose Reyes ceiling

[Marty34]

If it is not a pitcher somebody should be updating the old resume.

 

If they draft a high school player there's little difference in terms of need between a hitter and pitcher seeing how you're looking at 2017-8.

[Chisoxfn]

If they draft a high school player there's little difference in terms of need between a hitter and pitcher seeing how you're looking at 2017-8.

Marty, I don't know how many times someone has to say this, there is no such thing as drafting based upon need in the early rounds of the baseball draft, that is just idiocracy. You draft whomever is the best possible prospect and who you think is the right fit. It is such a crapshoot that limiting yourself to a 2nd basemen because your system is thin is just asinine. Maybe if two guys rate the same you will do that but that is pretty rare.

[caulfield12]

Drafting Turner/Gordon, we could lead all of MILB in middle infield prospects. Yay!

[witesoxfan]

Drafting Turner/Gordon, we could lead all of MILB in middle infield prospects. Yay!

 

Good.

[Marty34]

Marty, I don't know how many times someone has to say this, there is no such thing as drafting based upon need in the early rounds of the baseball draft, that is just idiocracy. You draft whomever is the best possible prospect and who you think is the right fit. It is such a crapshoot that limiting yourself to a 2nd basemen because your system is thin is just asinine. Maybe if two guys rate the same you will do that but that is pretty rare.

 

Then might I suggest never drafting a high school pitcher because they will likely get hurt.

[DirtySox]

BA's updated draft top 100.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/201...prospects-list/

[DirtySox]

Freeland at 5 sure is interesting.

[royoung]

BA's updated draft top 100.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/201...prospects-list/

 

Interesting Kolek over Rodon.

[witesoxfan]

Then might I suggest never drafting a high school pitcher because they will likely get hurt.

 

Then you should never draft a pitcher. But you should also never draft a hitter because most of them are likely to flame out and disappoint.

 

Obviously, you should take all things into consideration - injury risk based both on your interpretation and the nature of the position, the upside of the player, and his current talent level. If at the end, the best pick you can make is a high school pitcher, then make that pick.

 

 

[Dick Allen]

Then might I suggest never drafting a high school pitcher because they will likely get hurt.

It's fine drafting them. But unless you are really, really confident they are the second coming of Dwight Gooden, picking them that high is beyond a risk. 2 guys drafted high that had success where Gavin Floyd who was drafted in 2001 but became a regular rotation member in 2008, and Grienke who was drafted in 2002 and he wasn't a real effective starting pitcher until 2008. And I don't think many of have a future Gavin Floyd in 7 years on the wishlist for the #3 pick.

 

One of the articles I linked said HS pitchers selected in the top 30 had a 69% bust rate from 2004-2008:

 

The high-end high school pitcher always has been a risky bet. The 26 high school pitchers taken among the first 30 picks in the draft from 2004-08 had a failure rate of 69 percent, including about a one in four chance of never seeing the big leagues at all. And now the bet has grown even riskier as the threat of injury grows.

 

And in the other one I linked, Andrews listed some things causing this increase, and you could put a check next to every one when you analyze Kolek.

 

Basically, taking a HS pitcher with the 3rd pick in the draft, is an Adam Dunn AB where he cannot draw a walk since a walk wouldn't be acceptable for a pick this high. It's either going 450 feet, or he's walking back to the dugout in a chorus of boos.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Dick Allen

[maggsmaggs]

Freeland at 5 sure is interesting.

He's got the stuff, command and the numbers. While the competition is not great in his conference, he was very solid in the Cape League.

 

If the Sox are truly averse to drafting Kolek and he is the last of the Big 3 there, I wouldn't mind them drafting Freeland. I don't know if he would be willing to sign underslot though, but maybe you could get him for underslot and save enough money to draft Fedde if for some reason he dropped to the second round.

[DirtySox]

Draft chat at 1:30 if you have questions to ask.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/chat/?1400080672

[Soxfest]

If they draft a high school player there's little difference in terms of need between a hitter and pitcher seeing how you're looking at 2017-8.

There are 3 guys with top shelf talent in this draft then a dropoff, Sox need to take the pitcher left at #3. I have seen enough toolsy guys drafted already by the Sox early and how has that been working out.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Soxfest

[Dick Allen]

The White Sox have selected 10 HS pitchers in their history in the first round and supplemental first round. The best of all of them was Gio Gonzalez a #38 pick, although he is one of the 7 out of 10 who never won a game in a White Sox uniform. The other 2 are Steve Trout with 37 wins and Chris Knapp with 15, and Joel Davis with 8.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Dick Allen

[Bruce_Blixton]

The White Sox have selected 10 HS pitchers in their history in the first round and supplemental first round. The best of all of them was Gio Gonzalez a #38 pick, although he is one of the 7 out of 10 who never won a game in a White Sox uniform. The other 2 are Steve Trout with 37 wins and Chris Knapp with 15, and Joel Davis with 8.

 

Past performance does not predict future results. All of those previous picks were mid-round picks where the talent level tends to level out amongst the available prospects, this situation is completely different since we have the 3rd overall pick. If Aiken is there at #3 then we should be completely ecstatic, I don't think the Kershaw comps are that far off with him.

[Dick Allen]

Past performance does not predict future results. All of those previous picks were mid-round picks where the talent level tends to level out amongst the available prospects, this situation is completely different since we have the 3rd overall pick. If Aiken is there at #3 then we should be completely ecstatic, I don't think the Kershaw comps are that far off with him.

There were 3 or 4 top 10.

[Eminor3rd]

Kolek is a beast but I've read stuff lately (maybe DA posted it) about how doctors are saying that the adolescent ligament is simply not designed to handle consistently throwing in the upper 90's. The fact that this guy is the hardest thrower of the draft era means he's at a singular risk of injury.

 

Idk, I'd take him if he falls probably, but I'd be terrified. If it's him left at 3 and the Sox choose a hitter, I'll understand. If they choose Nola or something, I'll be disappointed.

[Bruce_Blixton]

There were 3 or 4 top 10.

 

40 years ago...