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2011 Amateur Draft

Draft Notes: Hultzen, Lindor, Bush, Pirates

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Alex Rodriguez, the first overall pick 18 years ago, has an .845 OPS after a two-hit game in Oakland today. Here's the latest on this year's draft, as we await another first overall pick…

  • Teams are hearing that the asking price for Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen is $13MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
  • High school shortstop Francisco Lindor will hold a private workout for the Diamondbacks tomorrow, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (on Twitter). Arizona selects third and seventh overall in this year's draft.
  • Lindor, a high school shortstop, is being strongly considered by teams with top five picks, including the Mariners (who pick second overall) according to Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com. Lindor could end up as a speedy switch-hitter with some power and an elite glove.
  • What do Matt Bush, Wade Townsend and Colt Griffin have in common? They're among the worst ten single-digit draft picks of the decade, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. 
  • In this week's edition of Ask BA, Jim Callis of Baseball America says the Pirates will likely select Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon, UCLA righty Gerrit Cole or Hultzen. At this point, it's a matter of "reading the tea leaves," since Pittsburgh's intention remains unclear.

Draft Prep: Meet The College Righties

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In a draft considered by experts to be deep in pitching, six college right-handers possess the talent to rank within the top 20 overall for ESPN's Keith Law, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein, and Baseball America.

Gerrit Cole, UCLA

Law has Cole going first overall to the Pirates in his most recent mock draft, while Baseball America has him falling to the Royals at #5.  Getting Cole is the "dream scenario" for the Royals at #5, according to Law. Cole, who was drafted out of high school by the Yankees in '08, boasts a mid-90s fastball, power slider, and above-average changeup.  Experts agree he has the ceiling of a number one starter, and Law says Cole "looks like he could pitch in the big leagues tomorrow if he'd sign soon enough to play."  He has, however, struggled with his command at times and hasn't delivered results on par with his abilities.  Cole is advised by the Boras Corporation.  He has been stingy on providing interviews, but MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith spoke to him in March.

Trevor Bauer, UCLA

Law believes the Diamondbacks could consider Bauer at #3 if Danny Hultzen is gone, but projects him going to the Nationals at #6.  Law does not expect Bauer to make it past the Indians at #8.  BA went with the Nats in their mock draft.  Bauer has been worked heavily and has unorthodox workouts and mechanics.  He's said by BA to pattern himself after Tim Lincecum.  Bauer comes with lots of strikeouts, good velocity, a plus-plus curveball, an above-average changeup, and a few other pitches too.  MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo spoke to him a few days ago.

Taylor Jungmann, Texas

Law projects the Brewers taking Jungmann at #12, with the Mets an option at #13.  BA guesses the Astros will take him at #11.  Law says the 6'6" Jungmann sits at 91-93 with a hammer curveball and strong command.  A few mild concerns have been raised about his delivery, and Goldstein questions whether he has "star-level upside."

Matt Barnes, Connecticut

Law notes that the Padres have interest at #10, which is BA's choice in their mock draft.  Barnes draws praise for his fastball and curveball, while questions remain about his command, mechanics, and secondary stuff.

Alex Meyer, Kentucky

Law names the Athletics at #18, the Red Sox at #19, and the Nationals at #23 as possibilities for Meyer, while BA takes the Angels at #17.  The 6'9" righty owns a mid-90s fastball and plus-plus slider, but Goldstein finds his performance inconsistent and all gurus say his command is lacking.  There is number one starter upside here, says Law.  Meyer, who turned down $2MM from the Red Sox as a 20th round pick out of high school three years ago, is advised by the Boras Corporation.

Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt

Gray could be Arizona's choice at their unprotected #7 spot, says Law, while the Padres could be a fit at #10.  He's mentioned the Cubs at #9 previously.  BA went with the Brewers at #15.  Gray is 5'11", but he pitches at 91-94 with what Law describes as a "knockout breaking ball."  The idea has been floated that Gray could end up a late-inning reliever.  Talking to Ben Nicholson-Smith in February, Gray said he prefers to start but considers himself versatile and enjoyed his time in the bullpen.    

Draft Notes: Guerrieri, Pirates, Bauer

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Here's the latest on the MLB draft, which is less than a week away…

  • No prospect has seen his draft stock rise more than high school right-hander Taylor Guerrieri, according to Nathan Rode of Baseball America. Guerrieri is the best high school arm an American League scout has ever seen and the odds that he goes to college seem slimmer than ever.
  • Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus points out that this year's draft is hard to predict from the first overall selection on. Goldstein has the sense that the Pirates will select Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen, but he can see them taking UCLA righty Gerrit Cole or Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon.
  • Check out our Draft Prospect Q&A series for conversations with all three players and others.
  • You may have heard about Trevor Bauer's unorthodox workout program, but the UCLA right-hander would prefer to be known for his fastball, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. Mayo offers a must-read take on Bauer, who led the country with 189 strikeouts this season.
  • Hultzen, Rendon and Bauer are all finalists for 2011 USA Golden Spikes Award, Cash Kruth writes at MLB.com.

Stark On Twins, Reyes, Beltran, Draft

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Jose Bautista and Josh Beckett are the player and starting pitcher of the month for ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here are Stark's latest rumblings from around the league:

  • Barring a miracle, the Twins will be sellers this July, but they aren’t ready to trade anyone yet.
  • One rival executive says they will eventually talk about trading prospective free agents including Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome and Matt Capps. The Twins would have interest in re-signing some of those players after the season and could conceivably do so even after trading them (the Indians did that with Austin Kearns last year).
  • Though Jose Reyes is the Mets’ most exciting player, the consensus is that the Mets are going to have an easier time trading Carlos Beltran, partly because they will feel the need to get more in return for Reyes.
  • The draft could be significantly different under a new collective bargaining agreement (baseball’s current CBA expires in December) and one scouting director says MLB needs to make changes, including a possible worldwide draft. "The dollars that are being asked now in Latin America are a joke,” the director said. “And this is the only way to address it."
  • One small-market official says a slotting system would hurt small market clubs, since it would prevent them from out-spending deep-pocketed teams on draft picks.
  • One GM suggests moving the draft back to the All-Star break and making it more of an event.

Draft Notes: Cole, Hultzen, Bradley, Springer

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The draft takes place one week from today; here’s the latest as teams prepare their draft boards for next Monday… 

  • ESPN.com’s Keith Law projects the Pirates to select UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole with the first overall pick, though he says they’re still seriously in on Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen and high school outfielder Bubba Starling. It’s too early to rule out Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon either. 
  • The D’Backs could take Hultzen, UCLA right-hander Trevor Bauer or high schooler Dylan Bundy third overall, according to Law.
  • It looks like the Orioles will take an arm fourth overall; they have Bundy, high schooler Archie Bradley and Cole in their sights.
  • If Bauer falls to the Indians, they’ll take him, according to Law.
  • The Cubs “sent a small army” to watch outfielder George Springer at the Big East tournament.
  • The Padres are interested in UConn right-hander Matt Barnes and Vanderbilt right-hander Sonny Gray. 
  • The top three players on one team’s draft board are advised by agent Scott Boras, according to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.
  • Rendon's stock is down a bit because of a dip in production and injury concerns, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, but Rendon's coach at Rice, Wayne Graham, expects the third baseman to go within the top two picks.
  • The Giants shouldn't (and won't) alter their draft strategy in response to Buster Posey's season-ending injury, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America in a mailbag.

Draft Notes: Bell, Stilson, High School Pitchers

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It was just three years ago that the Astros drafted right-hander Jordan Lyles in the supplemental first round of the 2008 draft (38th overall), but now the 20-year-old will make his big league debut in place of the injured Wandy Rodriguez on Tuesday. Some team will draft the next Lyles nine days from now, so here are some news and notes for the meantime…

  • Conor Glassey of Baseball America reports that high school outfielder Josh Bell sent a letter to the Major League Scouting Bureau informing teams that he doesn't want to sign a professional contract and will instead follow through on his commitment to Texas. Bell, who is being advised by Scott Boras, is "a surefire first-rounder on talent" according to Glassey.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that Texas A&M righty Josh Stilson will miss the rest of the season due to a SLAP tear in his shoulder. Callis notes that Stilson, a likely first rounder before the injury, has been worked hard during his college career.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo wrote about the top high school pitchers available this year, including Dylan Bundy, who "some claim he's the best pitcher, period, in this class."

Draft Notes: Cole, Hultzen, Meyer

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Eleven former first overall picks are currently on MLB rosters (DL included): Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Pat Burrell, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Gonzalez, Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Justin Upton, Luke Hochevar, David Price and Stephen Strasburg. Here are some draft-related links in anticipation of this year's top pick:

  • Anthony Rendon played his first games in the field since suffering a shoulder injury in March, and interestingly, Rendon played second base, reports John Manuel of Baseball America.  Rendon made an error in his second game but according to one scout, "handled his routine chances just fine."  While Rendon has displayed a strong third base glove in his college career, some executives have wondered if he is better suited to play second in the majors.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America has Rendon going first overall to Pittsburgh in his latest mock draft.
  • The Pirates are open to taking any of the top three or four players with the first overall pick, and they don't even have a "front-runner" for the pick, tweets Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Pirates continue to consider Gerrit Cole as a candidate for the first overall pick in the draft. Cole’s struggles have scared some teams off to an extent, but not Pittsburgh.  Cole hit the 101-mph mark on the radar gun during a start tonight, according to ESPN's Keith Law (Twitter link).  
  • MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo lists the draft's top college arms, including Cole, Trevor Bauer and Danny Hultzen. The 2011 draft class stands apart from others thanks in large part to the deep, talented crop of college hurlers. 
  • As Mayo explains, 6'9" right-hander Alex Meyer has developed from a hard thrower into a more polished college arm.
  • Reed MacPhail of FanGraphs offers more on the Kentucky starter and his “tantalizing combination of size and stuff.”
  • Hultzen is "probably" the Diamondbacks' most wanted player, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and he thinks the D'Backs would pass on Cole if he's still available when Arizona makes the third overall pick.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

The Indians’ Approach To The 2011 Draft

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Yes, the Reds are scuffling. But the Indians aren’t the only first place baseball team in Ohio this year. The Columbus Clippers lead the Triple-A International League with a 33-14 record thanks to a roster that includes some of the Indians’ top prospects. The person who drafted many of them, director of amateur scouting Brad Grant, says it’s rewarding to see the players he’s selected approach the Major Leagues.

“It’s a good feeling,” Grant told MLBTR. “Our scouts have done a very good job at identifying talent that’s going to move through the system and up to the Major League club and that’s what we hope to continue to do. From Lonnie Chisenhall to Jason Kipnis, Drew Pomeranz, Alex White and a bunch of others, our scouts have done a very good job at identifying what fits for us .”

Cleveland’s system boasted the seventh-best group of prospects in the game entering the season, according to Baseball America. And so far in 2011, they’re performing like top prospects. 

White posted a 3.60 ERA through three MLB starts after climbing through the Indians’ system in less than two years (he’s now on the disabled list). Chisenhall, selected when Grant was a rookie scouting director in 2008, has an .825 OPS at Triple-A and Kipnis, a 2009 selection, has an .856 OPS with the Indians’ top affiliate.

There’s a legitimate chance that Chisenhall and Kipnis make an impact for the Tribe in 2011. But when the Indians start selecting their next wave of talent on June 6th, Grant will be looking for players who will help the future teams, not ones that can bolster the AL Central-leading Indians this year.

“Those two things are separate,” he said. “They always have been in terms of our drafting philosophy. We’re looking again to try to get the best player available and try to get the player that fits best for us, but things change constantly at the Major League level and it’s changing for us right now, so to try to draft based on what the Major League team is doing is not the right thing to do.”

Instead of looking for short-term fixes, the Indians will rank over 700 players and determine which ones could contribute most in the long-term. The Indians figure to have lots of choice, as the consensus around the game is that the 2011 draft features a better collection of prospects than usual. 

“Just looking at it in terms of the power pitching that’s out there this year, there are a lot of guys with power arms and there are position players as well,” Grant said. “It’s a very good draft.”

The Indians select eighth overall before selecting 67th, 97th and 128th. It doesn’t compare with the bevy of early picks held by the Rays, Blue Jays or Padres, but the Indians still figure to have a shot at an elite prospect with their top pick.

“I think we’ll have a good choice and I think it’ll be something where it comes down to a choice between multiple players that we like a lot,” Grant said.

Last year the Indians selected Pomeranz, a left-handed pitcher who has a 2.09 ERA with a 54K/15BB ratio in Class A. The price: $2.65MM, or nearly as much as the Indians spent on Major League free agents before this season’s surprise run. 

All told, the Indians spent $9.4MM on draft bonuses a year ago, fifth in baseball and considerably more than large-market teams like the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Cubs and White Sox. This year, the Indians will approach players with imposing price tags on a case-by-case basis.

“As we go through the draft we’ll make those decisions depending on what’s available at the time of each selection,” Grant said. “As we get to those decisions, we’ll consult with ownership and with Mark Shapiro, our president, and see where we are, but those will be decisions we make as we go through the draft.”

Deciding which players to draft won't be simple, since the Indians will weigh reports on the hundreds of amateurs they have evaluated since last June. And the decisions probably won’t have an immediate impact at the Major League level. But the way current Indians prospects like Kipnis and Chisenhall are playing, there could be some job openings in the minors for the 2011 draft class before long.

Draft Notes: Harvey, Starling, Anderson, Stilson

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With the MLB draft coming up on June 6th, let's take a look at some draft-related tidbits..

  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets that the Red Sox released Ryan Harvey, who was the 2003 1st round pick of the Cubs.  The 26-year-old was trying to convert from the outfield to the mound but never found his way out of extended Spring Training with Boston.
  • There's been talk of a lack of elite bats in this year's draft, but there appears to be a good amount of depth when it comes to the outfield prospects, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.  Mayo highlights a number of the top outfielders in the draft, including Bubba Starling, George Springer, Mikie Mahtook, and Jackie Bradley.
  • More from Mayo who writes that there's a good deal of buzz around Stanford closer Chris Reed, who is seen by some scouts as a starter.  Reed, it appears, will be taken somewhere in the sandwich round.
  • Meanwhile, Mayo writes that two pitchers, Oregon lefty Tyler Anderson and Texas A&M right-hander John Stilson, may have hurt their stock with recent poor outings.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Fielder, Cubs

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On this date in 1997, Sammy Sosa of the Cubs and Tony Womack of the Pirates hit inside the park homers in the same inning of the same game. Here’s the latest on the NL Central…

  • The Pirates announced that they signed five amateur free agents: Nicaraguan right-hander Adolfo Flores, Dominican right-hander Juan Mendoza, Panamanian position player Edgar Munoz and Venezuelan outfielders Anthony Claudio and Keybel Escobar. Claudio "resembles a young Magglio Ordonez," according to Pirates Latin America scouting director Rene Gayo.
  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today says Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder could get a $200MM deal in free agency if he keeps hitting like this (Twitter link). Fielder leads the NL with 41 RBI and has a .285/.380/.548 line 216 plate appearances into the season.
  • There's only a slim chance that high school right-hander Dylan Bundy will be available when the Cubs select ninth overall in next month's draft, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). If Bundy and high school outfielder Bubba Starling have already been selected, Vanderbilt right-hander Sonny Gray could be an option for the Cubs.
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