Sox Draft Carlos Rodon> Draft Day Discussion Thread

[pettie4sox]

Why would the Astros and Marlins pass on Rodon?

[BigHurt3515]

Why would the Astros and Marlins pass on Rodon?

 

Because they are bad organizations. And we are the best.

[hi8is]

Why would the Astros and Marlins pass on Rodon?

Because they liked Aiken and Kolek better?

[chitownsportsfan]

Why would the Astros and Marlins pass on Rodon?

 

Because the Marlins are the Marlins and Houston gets a guy on par or slightly ahead of Rodon on talent at 20% savings,so they have more of their pool left later in the draft. Don't let anyone tell you different now or 5 years from now: the consensus is Rodon is very, very good. TINSSAAPP and all that, but Rodon is about as much as you'd hope for wrt to stuff, stats, and build. He'll easily be the Sox' best prospect and the "fast track" would have him coming out of the pen in September.

 

Not saying Aiken or Kolek or anyone else drafted won't be better, but as of today, Rodon is a pretty damn good prize for a 99 loss season.

 

 

[caulfield12]

One year ago, everyone would have been completely ecstatic.

 

Now, it's a bit of a tempered optimism because the intense scrutiny for almost 3 years has led to all of his "warts" being exposed.

 

For example, looking at only W-L record or H/IP.

 

One big positive is that he's pitched a lot less this season than his sophomore campaign, so they don't have to be quite as careful monitoring him and reigning him in like Sale in 2010.

 

That said, that 134 pitch game stands out, and he had another one in a subsequent game around 110-115 if I remember correctly.

 

His velocity numbers have been up again after sinking into the low 90's. (The same thing happened with SF's pick Beede, who went from 94-98 to having almost no confidence in his fastball and then back up again his final collegiate start).

[caulfield12]

Looks like the Brewers (Medeiros/Gatewood/Monte Harrison--Nebraska football signee) and Indians (Zimmer/J.Sheffield/Papi) are getting the most acclaim for good drafts so far...Angels (Newcomb/Gatto) and Tigers (D.Hill/Turnbull) also are moving to improve bottom 5 farm systems.

 

Blue Jays would have to be around 3rd.

 

 

 

The Cubs were hanging out in no man's land with the No. 4 pick. They probably would have loved to take Jeff Hoffman, but they didn't want to risk a pick that high on an injured pitcher. Brady Aiken, Tyler Kolek and Carlos Rodon were the top three picks, so the team had to get creative.

 

Kyle Schwarber, who has the best power among college hitters, became the fallback plan. He seemed like someone the Cubs could use to sign under slot, then allocate funds for a pitcher who falls into the second round.

 

Instead, the Cubs drafted Maryland senior Jake Stinnett. He has a live arm and the arsenal to start, but he doesn't have an easy delivery and his command is fringe-average. Unless the team has big plans for Day 2, Stinnett is hardly the pitcher you want to get excited about.

 

www.baseballprospectus.com

Edited June 6, 2014 by caulfield12

[Feeky Magee]

Anyone know how long Day 2 will last? Trying to plan out my evening

[caulfield12]

Anyone know how long Day 2 will last? Trying to plan out my evening

 

 

Just says the next two days are starting at 1:00 p.m., so all the higher picks (3rd-5th rounds) will already be over by then.

 

Right-hander J.B. Bukauskas from Stone Bridge High School in Virginia is ranked No. 38 on MLB.com's Top 200 prospects list and is the highest-rated player still on the board entering the third round. He is one of 34 players in the top 100 who have yet to be selected.

 

Bukauskas is committed to North Carolina and was a junior when school began in the fall. But at the request of the Tar Heels coaches, he moved his high school graduation up a year, becoming eligible for the 2014 Draft in the process. Though his dynamic arm excited scouts this spring, he remains committed to North Carolina and sent a letter to teams last month telling them he intended to attend college.

 

Even after a pitcher-friendly Day 1 of the Draft, Bukauskas is one of 21 pitchers rated in the top 100 who were still on the board entering Day 2. Among the remaining highly ranked pitchers are a few who missed time this spring because of injury, including Rice right-hander Zech Lemond (No. 58); Milton (Ga.) High School right-hander Dylan Cease (No. 76); and University of Texas left-hander Dillon Peters (No. 83).

 

Highlighting the available position players are two high school stars: Norris (Neb.) High School catcher Jakson Reetz (No. 40) and American Heritage High School (Fla.) shortstop Milton Ramos (No. 46). Norris (should be REETZ) is committed to Nebraska, and Ramos, considered by some scouts to be the best defender in the Draft class, is committed to Florida Atlantic.

 

Of the remaining college players ranked in the top 100, most are pitchers. Arkansas right-hander Chris Oliver (No. 48) leads the group, while Oregon State right fielder Dylan Davis (No. 74) is the top position player.

www.mlb.com

Edited June 6, 2014 by caulfield12

[Feeky Magee]

Just says the next two days are starting at 1:00 p.m., so all the higher picks (3rd-5th rounds) will already be over by then.

 

Right-hander J.B. Bukauskas from Stone Bridge High School in Virginia is ranked No. 38 on MLB.com's Top 200 prospects list and is the highest-rated player still on the board entering the third round. He is one of 34 players in the top 100 who have yet to be selected.

 

Bukauskas is committed to North Carolina and was a junior when school began in the fall. But at the request of the Tar Heels coaches, he moved his high school graduation up a year, becoming eligible for the 2014 Draft in the process. Though his dynamic arm excited scouts this spring, he remains committed to North Carolina and sent a letter to teams last month telling them he intended to attend college.

 

Even after a pitcher-friendly Day 1 of the Draft, Bukauskas is one of 21 pitchers rated in the top 100 who were still on the board entering Day 2. Among the remaining highly ranked pitchers are a few who missed time this spring because of injury, including Rice right-hander Zech Lemond (No. 58); Milton (Ga.) High School right-hander Dylan Cease (No. 76); and University of Texas left-hander Dillon Peters (No. 83).

 

Highlighting the available position players are two high school stars: Norris (Neb.) High School catcher Jakson Reetz (No. 40) and American Heritage High School (Fla.) shortstop Milton Ramos (No. 46). Norris (should be REETZ) is committed to Nebraska, and Ramos, considered by some scouts to be the best defender in the Draft class, is committed to Florida Atlantic.

 

Of the remaining college players ranked in the top 100, most are pitchers. Arkansas right-hander Chris Oliver (No. 48) leads the group, while Oregon State right fielder Dylan Davis (No. 74) is the top position player.

www.mlb.com

I kind of figured it out myself, at 240 picks and 1 minute between picks, that's 4 hours.

 

Wonder if the Cubs make a run at Bukauskas with their savings.

[caulfield12]

In an interesting twist, we might be competing with former White Sox CFer Darin Erstad for Reetz's services...only 20 players in the last 5 years drafted inside the top 100 haven't signed (out of 500 total players), fwiw.

 

 

 

Now it’s Reetz who’s been climbing draft boards since playing for the USA baseball under-18 national team last fall. And it’s (Monte)Harrison, the sixth-best high school prospect according to Baseball Factory. Harrison signed a football letter of intent in February, and he plans to be in the network’s New Jersey studio for the live broadcast of the first two rounds Thursday (he was picked 50th and didn't even give an interview to MLB.com...Danan Hughes, his advisor and former Hawkeye/Chief, thought teams were scared off by their demands).

 

Erstad said he hasn’t talked to either recruit much lately. All the necessary conversations have already taken place.

 

“We’re not a staff that’s going to hound these kids,” Erstad said. “We want them to enjoy their final year of high school and not have to worry about us being all over them. It’s going to boil down to what the family thinks is the best situation for them.”

 

And Erstad said he has a good idea of what both Harrison and Reetz are thinking — as in, the kind of signing bonus that might lure them away from NU.

 

MLB teams are limited to a specific allotment of cash that they can offer players drafted in the first 10 rounds, based on predetermined bonus values assigned to each pick. Teams are penalized for exceeding that amount.

 

July 18 is the deadline for amateur players to sign professional contracts. Erstad knows there are no guarantees until then.

 

“It’s tough to not have that control,” Erstad said. “The recruits have advisers, and the scouts have more access to prospective student-athletes than coaches. A lot of information, right or wrong, is given.”

 

Still, coaches at this level will keep trying to find and lure those top-tier ballplayers — specifically the ones who might also place value in the college experience.

 

“We’re going to look for elite kids,” Erstad said. “We’re going for this thing.”

 

www.omaha.com

Edited June 6, 2014 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Wait a second. Perhaps Nebraska two-sport recruit Monte Harrison does have reason to consider postponing his professional baseball career for a while.

 

Harrison went 50th overall to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Major League Baseball draft Thursday night, far later than analysts and experts predicted during the past weeks. The outfielder — who’s also a four-star receiver recruit — had been almost unanimously tabbed as a top 25 prospect and first-round draft pick.

 

Harrison, from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, even made the trip to New Jersey on Thursday to join six other high school prospects in the MLB Network studio for the unveiling of draft’s first 74 picks. Harrison was the last of the seven in attendance to get selected.

 

The immediate presumption for Harrison’s perceived slide: MLB teams were unable to match the signing bonus desired by Harrison and his family. Harrison’s mentor, former Kansas City Chief Danan Hughes, alluded to this on his Twitter account Thursday night, noting that money was the driving force in teams’ draft-day decisions.

Hughes was unable to be reached for comment Thursday. Harrison did not participate in an on-camera interview on MLB Network on Thursday.

 

Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid reportedly indicated to beat reporters that signing Harrison would not be easy.

 

Each franchise is limited to a predetermined pool of money that it can use to sign players drafted in the first 10 rounds. The Brewers have $7.6 million to spend, ninth-most among MLB teams. And they’ll surely offer Harrison more than $1.1 million, the predetermined signing bonus value assigned to the No. 50 pick.

Edited June 6, 2014 by caulfield12

[oneofthemikes]

So, have the Sox shown legitimate interest in Reetz at any point? Or is he just a board favorite?

 

Would they pick him or try to get someone that would sign underslot to help make sure Rodon and Adams sign?

[southsider2k5]

Heard he was target #1 after Schwarber was pegged for less $$. Cubs wanted Rodon big time too.

Not a good time for the north side plan.

 

It hasn't been a good time for the Cubs plan for about 110 years now.

[southsider2k5]

The Sox drafted 3 catchers in 2012, none of which have amounted to anything

 

2 years and declaring a draft dead? Geesh.

[southsider2k5]

Idk how they're going to sign both of these guys if they are both overslot.

 

Don't know about Rodon, but there is no way they draft Adams if he demands were bad.

[southsider2k5]

They have a 15% buffer to go over their pool before they have any penalties though, right?

 

No. 5% before draft pick penalties. Fines start at dollar #1.

[southsider2k5]

So what are the rules after Round 10? Is it back to the Wild West like under the old CBA, draft whoever you want wherever, throw all kinds of money at them? The slots go away but are there max amounts you can offer?

 

Anything over $100k gets added to their costs vs their bonus pool.

[Ozzie Ball]

Don't know about Rodon, but there is no way they draft Adams if he demands were bad.

Yes there was the Tweet for Merkin that said Sox don't seem worried about Adams' signability.

 

[bmags]

I have to say it was kind of annoying scanning three chicago sports stations and having trouble finding anyone chatting about sox picks. All about whether cubs strategy was worth it.

[oldsox]

2 years and declaring a draft dead? Geesh.

At least one catcher left pro ball, IIRC. Of the other two, one is on the Kanny DL and has not played this year (Fisher) and the other (Ayala) is still in Advanced ST. If you have optimism here, please share it. Maybe Fisher and Ayala are both slated to play Rookie Ball this year, not exactly a lot of info to go on.

[Ozzie Ball]

Looks like the Brewers (Medeiros/Gatewood/Monte Harrison--Nebraska football signee) and Indians (Zimmer/J.Sheffield/Papi) are getting the most acclaim for good drafts so far...Angels (Newcomb/Gatto) and Tigers (D.Hill/Turnbull) also are moving to improve bottom 5 farm systems.

 

Blue Jays would have to be around 3rd.

Huge risk/reward factor on the Brewers' haul. Wow. That will be an interesting group to follow.

[farmteam]

Man, Schwarber looks like he's gonna be a really fat dude whenever he stops playing baseball.

He does look like the guy that will just crank 'em to right and then be chugging a Coors Light while standing on 2nd.

 

But man can he hit! I'm gonna miss watching him. In the Regional he was an automatic extra base hit.

[witesoxfan]

I just want you guys to know that so called baseball enthusiast "Eminor3rd" missed the entirety of picks 4-43* because of alleged sexual intercourse with a female partner.

 

(I was working during the Rodon pick, what am I supposed to do, control when I work?)

 

* - may be incorrect

[The Ultimate Champion]

There's a bunch of interesting looking names on MLB's draft tracker.

 

This is a good 3rd rounder IMO:

 

Diaz, Chris Miami (FL) LHP L/L JR

6'0" 190lbs DOB: 05/24/93 | Scouting video

After going undrafted out of high school, Diaz broke out during his sophomore year at Miami. He became the Hurricanes ace and earned a spot on the U.S. national team last summer. Diaz primarily relies on his sinker, which sits around 90 mph with heavy life. He mixes in a slurvy slider and a changeup. He throws a lot of strikes and comes right after hitters with his fastball. Diaz pitched out of the bullpen with the national team and could move quickly in the Minor Leagues if he returned there. But with his feel for pitching and three offerings that have a chance to be at least average, he could develop into a Major League starter.

 

As a JR further down the list maybe he signs under slot. We could definitely use a LH reliever, and the heavy sinking fastball fits in with what we've been looking for. Also the potential starter upside and feel for pitching make him sound a little safer.

[The Ultimate Champion]

Chris Oliver sounds like an interesting guy to take a shot on, but sounds very far away even as a JR

 

6'4" 185lbs DOB: 07/08/93 | Scouting video

Projectable power arms from the college ranks aren't all that common, but Arkansas has a good one in Oliver. A member of the Razorbacks' weekend rotation, the tall right-hander has some serious upside. Oliver has a live arm, with a fastball he can dial up past the mid 90s at times. He throws downhill from his 6-foot-4 frame with some run and sink as well. Tall and slender, Oliver calls his breaking ball a curve, but it's really a slider. It's inconsistent from start to start, but it shows flashes of being an out pitch. His changeup is below average and behind the other two. That, along with his command, are the two things that hold him back as a starting pitching prospect. The jury is out about whether Oliver will remain a starter, but he has the power arsenal to succeed in the bullpen if that's the direction that makes the most sense.