The 2012 amateur draft kicks off soon, and yesterday we heard that the Astros are expected to select Stanford right-hander Mark Appel with the first overall pick. Here's the latest news on the event, starting with an update on the first overall selection…
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has heard a lot of chatter about Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa going first overall to the Astros (Twitter link). He feels it's posturing, however, and that Appel is still their selection.
- The Braves are likely to select a college player with their first round pick (No. 21), according to the sources of MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). As Bowman notes, Mayo has Atlanta selecting Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin.
- Though the Astros appear to have identified Appel as their top choice, they could move on to other options if the right-hander doesn’t show a willingness to sign at Houston’s price, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier provided a breakdown of the new rules implemented by the new collective bargaining agreement, and also a primer on what the Red Sox may do.
- The Cardinals have five picks in the first and supplemental first round, and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about their possible plan of attack.
- The Phillies hope to land a college hitter who can reach the majors in short order with their first pick, writes David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News. They pick 40th overall after forfeiting their first rounder to sign Jonathan Papelbon.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic tells us what to expect from the Diamondbacks on draft day. "The boring, standard answer is we’re going to pick the best player available," said scouting director Ray Montgomery.
- Nationals assistant general manager Roy Clark spoke to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post about the difference between picking first overall (like the Nats did in 2009 and 2010) and picking in the middle of the first round (like they'll do this year).
- Curious about all the draft picks that changed hands via free agent compensation this year? The full draft order can be found at River Ave. Blues.
wonder if in mlb we will ever see where teams can trade draft picks
Yay! No “toolsy high school outfielder that is a good athlete, but is a project” for the first round pick for the Phillies. They need to draft the best available CF or 3B that could be ready within a year or two.
I know, I know, you shouldn’t draft for need, but do the Phillies have a choice?
seriously?
I think they should take the best hitter regardless of what position he plays. I think they did a good job in terms of drafting offensive talent last year (can’t wait for short season to start to see what we have in the Walding, Larry Greene, and Quinn). Cody Ashe has been raking in Clearwater, albeit without much power.
Mark appears to be the Appel of the Astros’ eye.
Been done my friend, it’s been done. (I think it was Lastings or somebody).
[in best seinfeld voice] Lastings!
I was honestly quite surprised when I posted that somebody hadn’t already done it on this one. Now I know why.
You draft the best athlete with the most tools. Send him to instructional league and find the best position for him. So many great college pitchers ended up outfielders, third baseman ended up catchers, outfielders ended up pitchers. If a company hires you, you do what they tell you to do. Some great college pitchers are on a rapid course for sore arms and Tommy John surgery by virtue of their motion. If they are a good athlete, you can make them what ever their talents lend the best skill to.
Baseball prospects are a crap shoot. MLB would save a lot of draft money and trips to see prospects if they would just supply NCAA with wooden bats. See the real thing playing the real game. Baseball with anything but wooden bats is not exactly the same game.