The Royals are believed to have a deal in place with Yasmani Grandal for the fourth overall pick, industry sources tell Frankie Piliere of Fanhouse.com (via Twitter). Yesterday, an MLB executive told ESPN's Keith Law that Grandal is looking for "Buster Posey money". Posey received a $6.2MM bonus from the Giants.
Kansas City has been linked to the catcher since April when it was first rumored that they were looking at him as a candidate for the fourth overall pick. In his latest mock draft, Law has Grandal falling to the Reds at the 12th overall selection. However, he ranks the University of Miami product as the ninth best prospect in the draft.
Our own Mike Axisa recently took a look at Grandal, calling him the best all-around catcher in the 2010 draft.
That’s kind of… against the rules. Everybody does it anyway, but you’re not supposed to negotiate with prospects prior to selecting them in the draft. Which is why, generally, you keep it on the down-low.
If true, I’m a little surprised they would pick him fourth. Presumably, Machado, Taillon, or Pomeranz will be available. I guess they really like Grandal.
I suspect that Pomeranz will be the only one of those three available. Whether the Pirates pick Taillon or Machado, the Orioles will probably pick the one that the Pirates don’t.
Tallion won’t be available lol.
It would’ve been surprising for us to get Pomeranz anyways, we have the biggest surplus of high-pick lefty’s in the majors. Pomeranz is nothing special for a #4 anyways. Neither is Grandal, but we have one catcher in the entire system, and he’s 18 or 19 years old playing in Low A.
Taillon probably won’t make it past Baltimore, but there’s a small chance. I was just saying, one of those three is guaranteed to be available, and they’re all generally considered better overall prospects than Grandal.
Taillon and Machado; yes they are better than Grandal. Pomeranz; eh. I keep hearing over and over again that this is a three player draft. After that, mix up the next 20 picks any which way you want. The Royals have become a very good drafting team the last couple of years. If they like Grandal over the other players available that actually means something.
Just not sure how they can be negotiating with him now. Nobody above them is expected to take him but we won’t for sure until Monday.
The only team that knows for sure who they are going to get is the Nats. Everyone is subject to the decisions of teams ahead of them.
Perhaps we’re not talking apples to apples here, but the NFL does this all the time. Occasionally, the #1 overall pick is even signed prior to the draft. I imagine if this was a no-no, that we’d hear word of an MLB investigation.
Oh, it’s definitely against the rules. But, like I said, everybody does it anyway. You just don’t usually see reports that they already have an agreement before the draft even rolls around.
A non-top 10 talent going 4th is great news for every team from the Indians to the Jays, especially the D-Backs.
Grandal is a top ten talent. He’s generally been mocked between picks 5 and 9.
I’ll take a quality everyday starter over any of the 4-5th starter types available at 4. I want Colon or Grandal.
Time for a change in the Royals philosophy, uninspired picks like this haven’t worked. They just need to take the bpa, period. That’s certainly not Grandal.
There is no BPA here. At least not a consensus one. If this goes down the way the news says it will, the Royals will be taking what they believe to be the BPA. Look at the Royals last three drafts. They have become animals collecting lots of talented players that will very soon be in the bigs. You obviously haven’t noticed that the philosophy changed 3 drafts ago.
I have, but that doesn’t mean they should be changing that philosophy for this draft. Sale and Pomeranz are miles ahead of Grandal.
I understand Grandal’s potential, but why draft him barely a year after they drafted Wil Myers? I feel like it’d be smarter for KC to try to address another one of their needs rather than going for catching depth with the fourth overall pick.
Myers may not be able to stick behind the plate. He’s already having defensive troubles this year. I don’t know how likely Grandal is to stick behind the plate either.
Grandal is pretty good defensively. He needs to improve his footwork, but he should be able to play there.
Thanks for the info.
Myers is very unlikely to be a big league catcher, and you don’t draft for need–or lack thereof–anyway.