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2011 Amateur Draft

Indians Notes: Bauer, Talbot, Kearns

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Are they for real? Are they going to fade? We debate; the Indians keep on winning. Here's the latest on the Tribe, which enters tonight's action with an MLB-best 26 wins… 

  • The Indians, who select eighth overall in this year’s draft, figure to select a college arm and ‘would love’ UCLA right-hander Trevor Bauer, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). We heard something similar from ESPN.com’s Keith Law last week.
  • As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian explains, Mitch Talbot is nearly ready to come off the disabled list, so it’s time for the Indians to consider re-organizing their pitching staff. Talbot is out of options and figures to assume a role in the rotation or, potentially, in the ‘pen. Alex White and Carlos Carrasco have options and could be demoted to the minors leagues without being exposed to waivers.
  • On his weekly podcast, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggests that the Indians could pursue a right-handed hitter as a bench bat or semi-regular if they're looking add a player midseason.
  • Indians manager Manny Acta likes Austin Kearns for his outfield defense, even though he has struggled at the plate, according to Hoynes.

Introducing Bubba Starling

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That the Pirates have thought about taking high schooler Bubba Starling over better-known, better-established college players such as Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole with the first overall pick next month tells you the outfielder has talent. What kind of potential does he have? What kinds of risks would selecting him entail? Here’s what you need to know about Starling, a sure first rounder and a possible future star. 

In the words of MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, the 18-year-old is a ‘true five-tool’ player who could make an impact at a premium position. Baseball America calls him the best athlete in the draft, a five-tool center fielder with enough strength, bat speed and leverage to produce above-average power.

Not only does Starling have power potential to spare and the ability to hit for average, he is an outstanding defender in center field thanks to his range and arm. Mayo says he projects as a more refined version of Drew Stubbs – high praise considering that the underrated Stubbs has become an excellent player. 

There’s a catch, though, and it’s not the quad injury that sidelined Starling for almost a month earlier this year. He is a two-sport star whose athleticism is hard to match. Some say he can toss a football 50 yards from his knees and baseball scouts aren't the only ones who have noticed; Nebraska wants Starling to play quarterback and center field on a scholarship, so he has leverage. 

Scott Boras, Starling’s advisor, will presumably be asking for more than ‘slot’ money to lure Starling away from football and a college scholarship, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. ESPN.com's Keith Law suggests it will take a bonus of over $5MM, but with the high asking price comes lots of potential, so some team figures to pounce on Starling early on.

Pirates Considering Handful Of Players With Top Pick

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The Pirates are considering three to five players with the first overall pick in this June’s draft, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. There’s no obvious top pick like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper, so the Pirates are still evaluating and discussing their options. 

"There is not a clear-cut No. 1 this year," GM Neal Huntington said. "That's why we continue to work. That's why we continue to follow a handful of players and do our due diligence.”

UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole, Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon and Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen appear to be in the mix for the top pick. Huntington and other Pirates execs have seen all three college stars.

Conor Glassey of Baseball America reported earlier this week that high school shortstop Francisco Lindor and high school outfielder Bubba Starling have also entered the discussion for the Pirates' top pick. However, Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears that the Pirates believe Lindor is "waaay too small," and they're not even considering him for the top pick (Twitter link). Lindor is listed at 5-foot-11, 170 lbs.

The Pirates have spent more on the draft than any other organization since 2009 and, once again, scouting director Greg Smith has been handed “full assurance” that he can take whichever player he wants, regardless of bonus demands. The Pirates expect to be aggressive after the first round, according to Langosch. Their second selection is 61st overall; for a team-by-team breakdown of top picks, click here.

Draft Notes: Hultzen, Purke, Lindor

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Last year's top pick isn't arriving in the big leagues any time soon. Bryce Harper isn't going to play Major League baseball this year, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said on Washington's ESPN 980. "It's not going to happen, because he's not ready for that to happen," Rizzo said. Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.com has the details from Rizzo. Here's the latest on this year's draft…

  • You've heard of Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen and UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole, two possible first overall picks. Baseball America ranks other prominent draft-eligible pitchers, including Jed Bradley of Georgia Tech, high schoolers Daniel Norris and Henry Owens, Tyler Anderson of Oregon and Matt Purke of TCU. Every one of those southpaws is a first round talent, according to BA (subscription required).
  • Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Purke hopes to pitch tomorrow in TCU's final regular season series. He has been sidelined with a sore shoulder and last pitched April 16th.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo provides scouting reports and video on 50 of this year's top prospects. 
  • Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com provides a list of top draft-eligible middle infielders, led by high schooler Francisco Lindor. Churchill can't imagine Lindor falling past the Mets, who select 13th overall.

Each Team’s Draft Picks

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The amateur draft begins on June 6th this year.  Once the second round concludes, 90 players will have been drafted – 33 in the first round, 27 in the supplemental round, and 30 in the second round.  Courtesy of the 2011 draft order at River Ave. Blues, here's a look at which picks each team has within the first 90.

  • Rays (12): #24, 31, 32, 38, 41, 42, 52, 56, 59, 60, 75, 89
  • Blue Jays (7): #21, 35, 46, 53, 57, 74, 78
  • Padres (6): #10, 25, 48, 54, 58, 82
  • Red Sox (5): #19, 26, 36, 40, 81
  • Diamondbacks (4): #3, 7, 43, 63
  • Twins (4): #30, 50, 55, 87
  • Nationals (3): #6, 23, 34
  • Brewers (3): #12, 15, 70
  • Mets (3): #13, 44, 71
  • Rockies (3): #20, 45, 77
  • Giants (3): #29, 49, 86
  • Rangers (3): #33, 37, 83
  • Phillies (3): #39, 66, 90
  • Pirates (2): #1, 61
  • Mariners (2): #2, 62
  • Orioles (2): #4, 64
  • Royals (2): #5, 65
  • Indians (2): #8, 67
  • Cubs (2): #9, 68
  • Astros (2): #11, 69
  • Marlins (2): #14, 72
  • Dodgers (2): #16, 73
  • Cardinals (2): #22, 79
  • Reds (2): #27, 84
  • Braves (2): #28, 85
  • White Sox (2): #47, 80
  • Yankees (2): #51, 88
  • Angels (1): #17
  • Athletics (1): #18
  • Tigers (1): #76

Amateur Draft Glossary

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The draft is less than three weeks away, which means it's time to track the top amateur players in the country and which teams are interested in them. Given the amount of rules, jargon and deadlines involved with the draft, it doesn't hurt to review some key dates and concepts. Here are a few terms from MLBTR's Hot Stove Glossary:

Conor Glassey’s Draft Overview

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Baseball America's Conor Glassey posted a draft overview yesterday, and it appears to be free to all.  A few highlights:

  • Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen, Francisco Lindor, and Bubba Starling are in the Pirates' mix for the first overall pick, writes Glassey.  Pirates scouting director Greg Smith told Glassey he's more prepared for this first overall pick than he was when he drafted Matt Anderson with the Tigers in 1997.  There is no obvious number one overall talent, in Glassey's opinion.  High school pitcher Dylan Bundy could be a longshot for first overall, writes Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein in this free article.  Goldstein also ranks his top 20, so be sure to check that out.
  • One NL scouting director told Glassey he hasn't seen this kind of depth in a draft at any point in the 2000s.  This draft features a lot of high-velocity pitchers, though it's light on impact college bats and up-the-middle players.  Glassey notes that "many premium players are from non-traditional states."  One such example a little further down the draft might be Ben Roberts, a high school outfielder out of Montana who participated in his first showcase recently.
  • 2011 could be the last year without a hard slotting system, prompting some to assume teams will go crazy spending.  One NL scouting director Glassey spoke to expressed skepticism about that possibility.
  • Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison echoes the velocity sentiment in this Bill Chastain article for MLB.com: "This is the most guys I've ever seen who are throwing mid-90s."  The Rays have 12 picks between #24 and #89, and Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Chastain the team has "planned in advance for this Draft and the expected financial outlay for this many players in the top of the Draft."    

Draft Notes: Bundy, Bradley, Lee

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Baseball’s amateur draft takes place in exactly three weeks. Here’s the latest on some of the top draft prospects and one 2010 draftee who is thriving six appearances into his pro career…

  • Teams are hearing that the asking price for Dylan Bundy is $30MM for six years and that it will cost $20MM over five years to sign Archie Bradley, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter links). No draft deal has ever been worth $20MM, so the high schoolers' asking prices are sure to scare away less serious teams. 
  • MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes introduced us to Bradley earlier today.  
  • Dodgers right-hander Zach Lee is adapting well to the mental side of the game, Kevin Baxter writes in a piece for Baseball America (subscription required). Lee, who signed last year for a Dodgers-record $5.25MM, chose baseball over football and the results have been good for the 19-year-old. He has a 1.17 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in six starts at Class A.
  • Click here to read Q&As with some prominent members of this year’s draft class.

Draft Prep: Know Your Bradleys

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The draft is just three weeks away.  Three Bradleys have first-round potential; let's brush up.

Archie Bradley

Archie is a right-handed pitcher out of Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma.  In his recent top 100 list, ESPN's Keith Law ranked him tenth.  Back in February, Baseball America placed him ninth.  Law notes that Archie "is committed to Oklahoma as a quarterback but his passion is baseball."  According to Law, this Bradley sits 92-95 and has a hammer curveball "that might be the best in the draft."  Talking to BA's Nathan Rode in February, Bradley labeled himself a "front of the rotation guy," noting that "people get away from the fastball too much."  Comparisons to Dylan Bundy are natural, because the two top ten draft prospects pitch in the same conference and are good friends.

Jed Bradley

Jed is a 6'4" left-handed pitcher out of Georgia Tech.  Law ranked him 13th, while BA had him 12th in February.  Law says Jed sits at 89-94 and is a clear first-rounder, but his ceiling is currently limited because he lacks an average breaking ball.  On May 11th, ESPN's Jason Churchill wrote that Bradley's recent performance had his stock dropping a bit, but he'll still go in the middle of the first round at worst.  MLB.com's Peter Gammons still considers Jed a "sure top-10 selection."  BA's Teddy Cahill noted that Bradley was undrafted out of high school, but he bulked up, added velocity, and learned a lot from former Yellow Jacket teammate Deck McGuire.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

Jackie is a 5'10" center fielder out of South Carolina.  He's currently recovering from late April wrist surgery.  While the injury itself doesn't affect his long-term outlook, it may prevent him from returning and breaking out of an extended slump.  BA's Jim Callis puts Jackie in the second half of the first round, and Law ranked him 28th.  Law's scouting report bottom line: "His upside is that of a plus glove in center who hits for average and probably 15-homer power."  Jackie has over 4,000 Twitter followers and is advised by the Boras Corporation.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Atchison, Astros

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The Pirates are over .500 at 18-17. Here are some links for Monday night, as we wonder how long they can maintain a winning record…

  • Pirates starters have been pitching well and manager Clint Hurdle tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that pitching can be contagious, just like hitting. GM Neal Huntington has acquired two of his starters in the last year: James McDonald (trade) and Kevin Correia (free agency).
  • As Jonathan Mayo explains at MLB.com, potential changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement could make drafted players more eager to sign. One scouting director expects to see a few more signings than usual in 2011. 
  • Red Sox reliever Scott Atchison was added to Boston's Triple-A roster after being optioned to the minors, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (on Twitter). The Red Sox designated Atchison for assignment Friday in what was "a purely procedural move," according to Speier.
  • Houston attorney Kenny Friedman told Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner that he maintains interest in buying the Astros. Though Jim Crane now has an exclusive negotiating window during which he can buy the team, Friedman, the father of Rays executive Andrew Friedman, is working on his bid.
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