Drew Pomeranz Rumors

Draft Links: Ruffin, Pomeranz, Grandal, Wolters

The draft is underway, and we've got another round of links.

• Mayo hears that the Indians will take Drew Pomeranz and the D'Backs will take Barret Loux (Twitter link).
• Heyman hears that the Nationals will take Harper, the Pirates will take Jameson Taillon and the O's will take Manny Machado (Twitter link).
• The White Sox could take Grandal if he's available when they select 13th overall, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (via Twitter).
• In what would be a surprising move, the Reds appear ready to take Chance Ruffin 12th overall, according to Law.
• Law hears that Pomeranz is sliding and that teams are having "uh-oh" moments because they didn't discuss him enough (Twitter links).
• Padres executive Paul DePodesta explains that the draft has slowed down over the years. That gives teams the chance to breathe a little more easily between selections.
• An Orioles official told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that the team will likely pick Manny Machado third overall.
• It looks like the D'Backs will take a college pitcher with their first round pick, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears they aren't likely to take lefty Drew Pomeranz.
• The Indians have topped the Royals' predraft offer of $2.9MM to Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, reports Frankie Piliere of AOL Fanhouse.  Piliere still believes the Royals will take Grandal at #4, but the original agreement is off.  ESPN's Keith Law, meanwhile, heard that the Royals and Grandal had not even discussed money as of Saturday evening.  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals prefer Grandal but are "taking a hard look" at Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale.  Law has the Royals taking Sale, in a recent chat comment. 
• Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets that high school infielder Tony Wolters is in play for the Angels, Blue Jays, and Braves in the late first round or the first compensation round.  Piliere sees the Braves at #35.
• Goldstein tweets that high school outfielder Drew Vettleson looks like a potential first-round pick, maybe to the Dodgers at #28 (matching the prediction of Baseball America's Jim Callis).  Law has heard Vettleson as a possibility for the Dodgers, Rays, and Yankees.
• FanGraphs' David Cameron explains that Bryce Harper doesn't necessarily have more value as a catcher than an outfielder.
• Cameron's colleague Bryan Smith looks at recent draft picks that were questioned at the time they were made.
• Alex Speier of WEEI outlines Boston's shift toward drafting for impact players starting in '06.
• SI's Jon Heyman names the biggest booms and busts in draft history. 

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Draft Notes: O's, Harper, Pomeranz, Grandal

The countdown is on for MLB scouting directors. The draft is just days away, so it's time for them to rank hundreds of players. Here are the latest links on the 2010 draft:

• The Rangers' ownership problems means the team will be focusing on easily-signable players, reports Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
• Steve Gilbert of MLB.com thinks the Diamondbacks will look to add pitching after spending most of their early picks in the 2009 draft on position players.  He also doesn't think Arizona will pay above slot to sign a player.  
• Lou Montanez, Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis tell MLB.com's Spencer Fordin what they remember about being drafted.
• Bryce Harper may have played his last amateur game and it's not just because the draft is approaching. He received a two-game suspension after being ejected, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has video of the ejection.
• ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill hears that the Mets are high on Drew Pomeranz and Josh Sale. The Mets' decision could come down to players' asking prices, however.
• ESPN.com's Keith Law says the Mets could have a shot at Manny Machado, since the clubs picking between Pittsburgh and New York haven't shown clear interest in the high school shortstop.
• Rival scouts and executives expect the Red Sox and Blue Jays to be big spenders in the draft this year, according to Law.
• Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that the Jays will not shy away from tough signs.
• An MLB executive told Law that catcher Yasmani Grandal is looking for "Buster Posey money." Posey received a $6.2MM bonus from the Giants.
• If you're wondering who your team might select, check out this mock draft by three Baseball America writers.

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Bryce Harper Links

Assorted links about baseball's most popular 17-year-old, Bryce Harper...

• Harper tops Keith Law's updated list of the top 100 prospects in this year's draft (ESPN insider link). Manny Machado, Jameson Taillon and Drew Pomeranz aren't far behind.
• MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains that few hitters after Harper are considered safe bets this year.
• Harper's advisor Scott Boras told SI's Tom Verducci, "No baseball person in his right mind will have the guy catch."  Baseball America's Jim Callis sees the Nationals moving Harper to a corner outfield position, allowing him to reach the Majors in September of 2012 at the earliest.  Also in that piece, Callis compares Pomeranz to other recent college lefties.
• Yahoo's Tim Brown wonders what it's like to be Harper.
• Joe Posnanski cautions that unlike Stephen Strasburg, Harper is a long way from being big-league ready.  A lot can go wrong in that time.

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Odds & Ends: Burrell, Diamondbacks, Oswalt

Some links to check out following Roy Halladay's perfect night..

• MLB.com's Cash Kruth passes along a quote from Giants' manager Bruce Bochy regarding the signing of Pat Burrell: "The thought of signing him to help us off the bench, give us a right-handed bat, some power, a good threat coming off the bench and help us late in games and maybe play against certain pitchers. Right now he needs some at-bats in the Minor Leagues, and we'll see where he's at in the next ten days or so."
• The Diamondbacks are leaning towards taking a pitcher with the 6th overall pick in next month's draft, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Scouting director Tom Allison has seen Ole Miss lefty Drew Pomeranz and Georgia Tech righty Deck McGuire in the last few days.
• The Astros and Roy Oswalt are in an uncertain state of limbo, writes Tyler Kepner of The New York times.
• The A's knew about Justin Duchscherer's hip troubles before signing him to a one-year deal this offseason, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The righty will earn the base pay of $2MM but now will not have the opportunity to earn up to $3.5MM in incentives.
• Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates as to why the Giants are calling up Buster Posey today.
• Roberto Alomar is looking for a front office job and would like for it to be with Toronto, writes MLB.com's James Hall.

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Odds & Ends: Padres, Chipper, Pagan, Phillies

Links for Thursday, as the Phillies attempt to get their offense going...

• Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells FanGraphs contributor Mike Lee that trading within a division makes sense at times. The entire interview is worth a read.
• In a clip for FanHouse TV, former Mets GM Steve Phillips explains what he meant when he said he would deal Stephen Strasburg for Roy Oswalt.
• MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo breaks down this year's class of draft-eligible catchers and describes Yasmani Grandal's development into a top prospect.
• David Patton, who was designated for assignment when the Cubs had to make room for Bob Howry, has cleared waivers and re-signed with the Cubs, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter).
• Chipper Jones told 790 the Ticket in Miami that he might not play next year, even though he's under contract (transcript on Sports Radio Interviews, hat tip to USA Today). Chipper has gone back and forth on the issue this year.
• Angel Pagan is a better player than Jeff Francoeur for 2010 and beyond, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
• The Phillies are more likely to trade for a third or fourth starter than an ace this summer, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports. Knobler hears that the Phillies may match up best with a team looking to shed the salary of an expensive starter.
• Drew Pomeranz pitched well in front of a dozen or more scouting directors, writes ESPN.com's Keith Law. Meanwhile, teams have questions about righty Anthony Ranaudo's medical history.
• Yahoo's Tim Brown and Jon Heyman of SI.com believe Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut on June 8th, though both writers remind us that the date could change (Twitter links).
• David Golebiewski of FanGraphs says Carlos Pena should show more plate discipline and pull the ball if he wants to sign a big free agent contract this offseason.

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Two New Mock Drafts

Baseball's amateur draft is just 12 days away.  The latest links:

• AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere takes a second pass at a mock draft for the first round.  This time he has the Royals taking Ole Miss lefty Drew Pomeranz at #4.  Pomeranz is pitching in the SEC Tournament today.
• MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo projects the top 20, with Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale going to the Royals.
• Mayo also has an article profiling the draft's top outfielders, with video for each.
• ESPN.com's Keith Law posted his most recent mock draft yesterday.

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Odds & Ends: Peavy, Duchscherer, Vasquez, Piniella

Links for Monday, as Jose Bautista continues to astound...

• Jake Peavy told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he has no interest in being part of a rebuilding effort at this point in his career. He hasn't given up on the White Sox, though.
• The injured Justin Duchscherer tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he wants to pitch in 2011 (Twitter link).
• Yahoo's Tim Brown lists Dave Trembley, Jerry Manuel and other managers whose jobs aren't completely secure.
• Frankie Piliere of MLB FanHouse names 24 international player to watch leading up to July 2nd, when teams can start signing a new crop of free agents. The Giants are among the favorites to sign top Dominican outfielder Eskarlin Vasquez.
• Cubs GM Jim Hendry says he doesn't have "one thought" in his mind about firing Lou Piniella, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
• Another manager whose contract expires after the season, Jerry Manuel, tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he isn't worried about his status (Twitter link).
• RotoAuthority identifies some pitchers who have gained and lost velocity this season. Francisco Liriano's fastball has more zip than ever and, now that he's in the rotation, C.J. Wilson isn't throwing as hard.
• Rival executives feel that the Nationals could become aggressive this trade deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Nats, now 20-18, could take on an apparently-oversized contract and make a playoff push.
• MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains that top college pitchers Anthony Ranaudo and Drew Pomeranz have struggled recently and aren't as attractive to teams as they once were.
• Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes the Cubs should consider firing Lou Piniella if they don't jump into serious contention.
• Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that Jose Bautista and Jake Westbrook could be attractive trade chips later in the summer.
• South Side Sox says Kenny Williams' roster construction "lacked imagination and vision" this year. The result so far: a 15-22 record for the White Sox.

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2010 Draft Prospect: Drew Pomeranz

Major League Baseball's amateur draft will be held from June 7th-9th, so we're going to introduce you to some of the top players available during the next few weeks. 

At 6-foot-5, 231 lbs., it's hard not to notice Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss on a baseball field, even when he's not standing on a mound. The lefthander was the Rangers' 12th round pick (380th overall) out of a Tennessee high school back in 2007, though they were unable to sign him and he's now draft eligible again as a college junior. 

Baseball America recently ranked Pomeranz as the third best talent available this year, while ESPN's Keith Law had him fourth (subs. req'd for both). MLB.com's Draft Report notes that he "sits comfortably in the 91-92 mph range" while touching 94 with his fastball, and he also features a power breaking ball, a greatly improved change, and command that is "solid-average to a tick above average." The MLB.com link also includes video. 

Overall, Pomeranz heads into tonight's start against Alabama with a 2.17 ERA, a .183 batting average against, and a 112/36 K/BB ratio in 74.2 innings. However he's been dealing with a strained pectoral that's kept him from being his best down the stretch. Three weeks ago he walked nine in just three innings of work against fifth ranked Louisiana State in a nationally televised game. Against Southeastern Conference competition (college baseball's toughest conference), Pomeranz has a 2.45 ERA, .176 average against, and a 72/29 K/BB ratio in 51.1 innings. 

College lefthanders with command of three pitches and that kind of size don't last very long in the draft, so Pomeranz should expect to hear his name called within the first five picks this year. Jim Callis of Baseball America has him going to the Pirates with the second overall pick in his mock draft.

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Nationals Considering 'A Handful' For Top Pick

The Nationals are considering 'a handful' of players in preparation for the draft, GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Naturally Bryce Harper is one of the prospects the Nationals are watching, but they aren't committed to taking him.

"I wouldn't say we are leaning toward anybody." Rizzo said. "We are leaning toward a handful of people."

A baseball source told Ladson that the Nationals are also considering pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Jameson Taillon and shortstop Manny Machado. Some have questioned Harper's character, but Rizzo made it clear that he doesn't share those doubts.

"We have no problem with Bryce Harper's character," Rizzo said.

Harper has seemed like a likely selection for a while, but the Nationals have repeated that no decisions have been made, as much as they like Harper's ability and makeup.

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