2014 Draft class

[cabiness42]

Crawford's final mock. Corroborates Kolek falling. White Sox take Nola instead.

 

http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/06/the-final-mock-ever/

 

Pretty much okay with this if it happens. Especially if he's underslotted.

 

Why is Kolek falling?

 

[oneofthemikes]

Why is Kolek falling?

 

That's sorta what I was wondering. Why now? Don't get me wrong, I am fine with whoever gets selected, because I trust what the front office is doing right now, I just don't get what could have caused the 11th hour slide. Signability concerns?

[DirtySox]

Why is Kolek falling?

 

No idea. It might be just bulls***, but who knows? Kiley offers this though:

 

Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd · 11h

Well because he doesn't really do anything else right now & huge injury questions due to velo RT @riley_daddy Because he throws too hard?

 

Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd · 11h

Scouts tend to get more conservative in crunch time & Kolek was overhyped due to velo MT @riley_daddy No different than he's been all season

[flavum]

I don't know what the hell to think about this anymore. Nola would be fine, and possibly a guy they could use before the season ends.

 

We'll know in 11 hours.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Got ya.

 

 

 

With ya still.

 

 

 

Totally f***ing lost now.

 

We get 2 baseball players today

Edited June 5, 2014 by Bigsoxhurt35

[Springfield Soxfan]

For now, Anderson is a SS. We can argue about his timeline, and the possibility of Semien, Johnson and Anderson all being shifted to the outfield at some point in the near future, but Anderson has the ability/tools/range for the position...his arm isn't great for a SS, but he will have the remainder of 2014 and at least half of 2015 before they switch him (if that actually is going to happen in the future). As I argued before, they might stick him at DH a few times if his error total at SS climbs above 50, we'll see.

 

It's also possible they'll promote him to Birmingham in July or August to prevent him from having a huge error total at one place. Sox brass want to see how well he'll do on a better-maintained infield where there aren't so many bad hops, like you typically see on an A Ball infield.

 

At any rate, I seriously doubt they'd forgo pitching for another athletic/toolsy infielder when that's their ONE area of strength right now.

 

And nobody's making the argument that Gordon is the best player available at 3.

Excellent analysis and agree.

[caulfield12]

That's sorta what I was wondering. Why now? Don't get me wrong, I am fine with whoever gets selected, because I trust what the front office is doing right now, I just don't get what could have caused the 11th hour slide. Signability concerns?

 

 

Any pitcher in this day and age who's going to be picked in the first 3-5 selections would have no logical reason to risk an injury...if Kolek were to risk going to TCU for two seasons, especially after watching Hoffman and Fedde go down in the last six weeks, it would be insane.

 

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/...ction=si_latest

With Kolek, it has to be more than this inauspicious article coming out, you'd HOPE. (Shouldn't there be a "reverse SI jinx" in these cases?)

 

It might be nerves coming back, reminding every front office about the Colt Griffin story, and David Clyde almost 30 years before that.

Edited June 5, 2014 by caulfield12

[bmags]

Happy draft day to everyone.

[caulfield12]

Happy draft day to everyone.

 

 

Haven't been so excited about the draft since my high school/university days back when we selected McDowell, Ventura, Thomas and Alex Fernandez.

Edited June 5, 2014 by caulfield12

[The Ultimate Champion]

Nola is the kind of talent you can acquire out of another organization at the AA/AAA level in a trade. We could get a similar or better player out of Alexei and probably another piece. What a massive waste it would be to use the #3 to get the type of talent you already have the pieces for. 1 of Aiken, Kolek, Rodon will be there for sure, and if Jackson goes to MIA then 2 will be there. There is zero reason to take Nola, that's just punting the pick. Upside, upside, upside all day, and "ceiling of #2" when it's all said and done probably means "#3/#4."

 

God damn it Sox don't f*** this thing up. We're not going to be picking this high again for a while, maybe not in a very long time.

[cabiness42]

No idea. It might be just bulls***, but who knows? Kiley offers this though:

 

Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd · 11h

Well because he doesn't really do anything else right now & huge injury questions due to velo RT @riley_daddy Because he throws too hard?

 

Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd · 11h

Scouts tend to get more conservative in crunch time & Kolek was overhyped due to velo MT @riley_daddy No different than he's been all season

 

Yeah, if only the Sox had a guy with a track record of teaching things to pitchers.

[The Ultimate Champion]

Happy draft day to everyone.

Happy draft day to you too!

 

Now let's make sure Buddy Bell is out getting donuts/running errands while all the real decisions are being made.

[caulfield12]

Nola is the kind of talent you can acquire out of another organization at the AA/AAA level in a trade. We could get a similar or better player out of Alexei and probably another piece. What a massive waste it would be to use the #3 to get the type of talent you already have the pieces for. 1 of Aiken, Kolek, Rodon will be there for sure, and if Jackson goes to MIA then 2 will be there. There is zero reason to take Nola, that's just punting the pick. Upside, upside, upside all day, and "ceiling of #2" when it's all said and done probably means "#3/#4."

 

God damn it Sox don't f*** this thing up. We're not going to be picking this high again for a while, maybe not in a very long time.

 

 

And that's what they said about Wacha as well, which is why he fell so far.

 

If you read the New Orleans Times-Picayune in-depth story about him (Nola), you would feel a lot better.

 

The odds are just as high that Kolek becomes a reliever, Aiken never makes it to the majors and Rodon blows out his elbow. It's a crapshoot, nobody really knows anything with certainty.

 

FWIW, Cooper picked Aiken as the one he liked the most.

Edited June 5, 2014 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Yeah, if only the Sox had a guy with a track record of teaching things to pitchers.

 

If you're facing hitters and the crowd's cheering when someone can actually foul-tip your fastball, why are you going to throw 2-3 other pitches to get him out?

 

Just for the scouts?

 

Everyone across the board says he shows flashes of above average curve/fastball/slider...he just has rarely had to use those pitches. Certainly hasn't had to master or perfect them at the high school level, especially pitching for a smaller school without as much competition as the AAAA/AAAAA schools.

 

Also, he wasn't even really on the map until this year because he broke his arm last year...so it would take a little getting used to having every single pitch scrutinized like what Rodon's been going through for the past 18 months.

 

How many times has Rodon been on ESPN 2/3? Kolek was elated just to meet Nolan Ryan for the first time.

Edited June 5, 2014 by caulfield12

[flavum]

If Nola has a 3-4 floor and 2 upside, plus Coop and the staff like his mechanics, I couldn't fault the Sox for taking him. The Sox need another guy that will give 32 starts and 200 innings. They don't grow on trees.

[DirtySox]

If Nola has a 3-4 floor and 2 upside, plus Coop and the staff like his mechanics, I couldn't fault the Sox for taking him. The Sox need another guy that will give 32 starts and 200 innings. They don't grow on trees.

 

Teach him a cutter!

[maggsmaggs]

If Nola has a 3-4 floor and 2 upside, plus Coop and the staff like his mechanics, I couldn't fault the Sox for taking him. The Sox need another guy that will give 32 starts and 200 innings. They don't grow on trees.

I wouldn't mind Nola, but I would not be happy paying him slot. If the Sox can save the equivalent of a third rounder by going with Nola, I would be OK with it. I am just worried that Nola's 94-95 MPH suddenly becomes 91-92 ala Erik Johnson.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Happy draft day to everyone.

Happy draft day! I'll be working for a few hours. Will try and take a break to look for rumors here.

[Balta1701]

I wouldn't mind Nola, but I would not be happy paying him slot. If the Sox can save the equivalent of a third rounder by going with Nola, I would be OK with it. I am just worried that Nola's 94-95 MPH suddenly becomes 91-92 ala Erik Johnson.

A 3rd rounder, so only $500k below slot? That almost seems easy.

[caulfield12]

I wouldn't mind Nola, but I would not be happy paying him slot. If the Sox can save the equivalent of a third rounder by going with Nola, I would be OK with it. I am just worried that Nola's 94-95 MPH suddenly becomes 91-92 ala Erik Johnson.

 

 

Try 88-90.

 

Well, that's exactly what happened with Colt Griffin and the Royals a decade ago, they tried to change his motion, he never threw 100 MPH again and wound up blowing out his shoulder/labrum and disappearing from baseball altogether.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2014 by caulfield12

[DirtySox]

I wouldn't mind Nola, but I would not be happy paying him slot. If the Sox can save the equivalent of a third rounder by going with Nola, I would be OK with it. I am just worried that Nola's 94-95 MPH suddenly becomes 91-92 ala Erik Johnson.

 

From what I've seen, Nola doesn't really sit mid 90's. That's more the upper range of what he can touch.

[fathom]

From what I've seen, Nola doesn't really sit mid 90's. That's more the upper range of what he can touch.

 

Yeah, he definitely doesn't sit in the 94-95 range. I'd be fine with Nola, but only if Aiken/Rodon are gone.

[DirtySox]

Speaking of significant draft talents with signability issues, Kiley has a list of them in his latest big board.

 

http://sbb.scout.com/story/1408495-the-draft-board?s=381

 

Bukauskas is one of my favorite draft prospects. Dylan Cease could be a steal despite the likelihood that he needs TJ. I'm also a big fan of Keith Weisenberg.

[The Ultimate Champion]

Taking Nola just because he's a college pitcher is something Hawk would do.

 

Think about that for a second.

 

If the Sox go the safety route with this thing at #3 they should be shown no mercy. This would be a whole lot worse than Broadway/McCulloch/1-pitch Poreda ever was given our draft position.

 

And then how fun would it be to see the Cubs and/or Twins take the better player right behind us, lol.

 

If Kolek/Rodon become aces for the Cubs or Twins while Nola is a medicore mid-rotation starter the Sox will never live it down. But if Sox go Rodon/Kolek at #3 and he gets hurt, leaving Nola to Cubs or Twins, nobody really cares because the guy isn't special anyway.

 

Take Gordon or Jackson over that guy. At 3 overall Nola is a turd in the punch bowl. Buddy Bell's turd, with Hawk standing right by it going "Yesss!"

[Balta1701]

Taking Nola just because he's a college pitcher is something Hawk would do.

 

Think about that for a second.

 

If the Sox go the safety route with this thing at #3 they should be shown no mercy. This would be a whole lot worse than Broadway/McCulloch/1-pitch Poreda ever was given our draft position.

 

And then how fun would it be to see the Cubs and/or Twins take the better player right behind us, lol.

 

If Kolek/Rodon become aces for the Cubs or Twins while Nola is a medicore mid-rotation starter the Sox will never live it down. But if Sox go Rodon/Kolek at #3 and he gets hurt, leaving Nola to Cubs or Twins, nobody really cares because the guy isn't special anyway.

 

Take Gordon or Jackson over that guy. At 3 overall Nola is a turd in the punch bowl. Buddy Bell's turd, with Hawk standing right by it going "Yesss!"

Why does no one consider it going the other way, that in 2 years the White Sox have a successful contributor in the middle/upper half of their order and the high schooler drafted by the Cubs/Twins is having TJS?