We already watched a 26-pick conventional first round unfold before ten choices were made by clubs that lost free agents who had declined qualifying offers. Now, we’ll track the results of the final choices before the official start of the second round: those awarded through a lottery held among the league’s ten smallest markets and/or lowest revenue clubs.
As before, you can find bonus pool info and lots of useful links on the players being selected right here. Here are the results:
- 37. Houston Astros (via Marlins) — OF Daz Cameron, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (GA HS)
- 38. Colorado Rockies — 3B Tyler Nevin, Poway (CA HS)
- 39. St. Louis Cardinals — RHP Jake Woodford, Plant (FL HS)
- 40. Milwaukee Brewers — LHP Nathan Kirby, Virginia
- 41. Atlanta Braves (via Padres) — 3B/RHP Austin Riley, DeSoto Central (MS HS)
- 42. Cleveland Indians — RHP Triston McKenzie, Royal Palm Beach (FL HS)
I still find it funny (almost to the point of absurdity) that the Cardinals get a competitive balance pick.
Absurdity is Atlanta having 4 draft picks before the Mets pick 1 time. Good for the Braves. John Hart is a smart baseball mind.
Mets had a pick before the any of the Braves picks. It was their choice to give it up when signing a free agent.
in one of the worst drafts in recent memory. Not the year to stockpile.
There’s a line where the talent is essentially the same. If that line is before 30 the Braves made out pretty well, otherwise there’s good reason they got some of those picks on the easy
Not a year to stockpile? Every year is a year to stockpile and build on already the 9th-ranked farm system. We are 3.5 GB in a “rebuilding year” with the worst bullpen in MLB. Considering Hart/Coppy wanted their stamp on the farm and this is it.
That is impressive, but some of it has to do with the Nats (and Mets, I’d say) underperforming. Both teams have had tons of injuries early on. Two of the Mets’ best offensive players have been gone almost the whole season (Wright and d’Arnaud), Murphy is now hurt, Herrera’s been hurt, Wheeler’s missing the whole season. Nats have had just as many injuries.
I disagree. The bad drafts are where you want many picks because that increases the odds that you will get one of the inevitable diamonds in the rough.
I agree, but we’ll take it!
If I was a Houston Astros fan, I would be stoked! Bregman, Cameron, Tucker. Wow.
Cameron has signability issues so we’ll see.
True, and he fell like a brick. I suppose if he thinks he can go to FSU and rake so be it, but he had the one team take him that can go over slot.
This was prearranged, I doubt he ever had an intention of going to FSU. A lot of people were calling this over the past week. He almost certainly received a promise of a high dollar figure from the Astros causing his camp to float out high demands which resulted in him either falling to the Stros or a team meeting his high demands. Once he fell past the Twins, he was destined to be an Astro.
For sure. I wonder if the Astros had some deals arranged with their first two picks..seems like a 3 part package.
For sure, imagine they had an idea of what it would take too such those picks beforehand. The Astros have really mastered the new system, despite the debacle last year which was brought about by poor circumstance and perhaps a little greed on their end (for players, not money).
Honestly, though, they’ve been the team in place to take advantage of the new system by their recent lack of competitiveness. Also has to be considered that that last season was a bit of a loss without Aiken’s and Nix. But, yeah…solid..they are taking advantage of the system in place…soon it’ll be another teams turn….Rockies might ride this out a bit too
Which is why it was the team with the largest draft pool (over $17M) that took him.
Their ability to use their draft pool effectively is questionable. Remember last year? That’s the whole reason they got a bonus pick this year. What happens when the first 2 guys they drafted want slot money??
They do their due diligence on what it will take to sign guys. They had an agreement with Aiken for about $1.5M underslot, it was the medicals that botched the deal, not the Astro’s ability to use their draft pool. Look at their 2012 draft with Correa, McCullers & Ruiz.
The Astros can sign all three guys over slot and still have more left over than 2/3 of the teams entire draft budget.
Yes, but that would be risky. Going the opposite of everyone else’s strategy. It may work though
You’re just jelly
Colorado has done very well so far.
Impressed they got Rodgers considering he was the 3rd SS taken.
I am hoping they will draft Michael Matuella at the top of the 3rd (if Arizona passes). That will make this draft a potential slam dunk.
See Houston Astros..
See potential slam dunk.
True, but then again when you factor in the screw up last year that led to their good draft this year it brings the grade down quite a bit.
I’ll take a wild guess and say if the Rox take Matuella he goes back to Duke
I would have been okay with that because the Rox would get an extra 3rd rounder next year. But the point is moot since they passed and he went to Texas. As if they don’t have enough injured pitchers already.
Extra 3rd rounder would be neglible compensation if there’s anyone out there worth it for this draft. Just given Matuellas health issues, and Rockies need to jump the farm…just seemed like a no go…they thought so as well apparently
This year’s draft has been described by almost everyone as weak. Next year’s 3rd rounder might be a 2nd rounder or higher this year. As far as the Rockies go, their first 5 picks were high school guys so it’s not like they are in a rush for these guys to contribute. Matuella is a risk, but a very high reward for a 3rd round pick. This type of decision making is why the Rockies are picking in the top 10 almost every year.
Rockies had a top ten farm system entering the draft. Yeah, people are saying this draft is weak…which no one can really know now anyway…it’s just not top heavy.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rockies deal a bit of talent in the off season to try and acquire a front line starter in the James Shields/KC mold.
Dangerous move. The Rockies do not have a good history of doing that.
Bill Swift
Bret Saberhagen
Darryl Kile
Hampton/Neagle (FA, but same difference)
Jeremy Guthrie (not an ace, but he was pretty good)
All flopped. I realize they need to do something, but they need to develop pitchers that aren’t afraid to pitch in Coors. Front line starters from other teams walk into Coors and are basically defeated before they ever throw a pitch.
I believe those were free agent signings. The Rockies don’t have much of a history of pitching at all. They have their own arms coming. They just have zero chance at any free agent. It would have to be the right arm with some control left.
Saberhagen and Guthrie were trades. The others were FA signings, but the point remains the same. Front line starters elsewhere have very little chance of succeeding in Denver no matter how they are acquired. The stigma of Coors is just to much to overcome.
They don’t have zero chance. If they offer the money, pitchers will come as evidenced by Hampton, Neagle, Kile, and Swift. They were all really good pitchers and could have gotten paid elsewhere, but took the bigger dollars from the Rox. Ownership just doesn’t want to get burned again like with them.
Rockies don’t want to overpay to get the decreased performance. Saberhagen was well past hhis prime. Ultimately, if you’re the Rockies, you want to become THE team when it comes to pitching development. But in honesty…what will make any of their own any better at altitude than someone coming in? It’s more physics than psychology. Im not saying that anyone who thinks they shouldn’t bring someone in is wrong…I don’t know…but they might want some culture change on the staff…someone to front Butler and Gray while Tulo is viable and Arenado is under control. Not saying cash the system for Hamels….I think Shields in KC is a good model.
The Competitive Balance Lottery need to be fixed. The draft order for this lottery round was set prior to last year’s trade deadline. That’s an extremely long time for a team to be able to address their competitiveness. Analysts were discussing how to make the MLB Draft more viewer friendly. Here’s an idea. Hold the CBL at the draft, and weight it based on current standing. The Cardinals certainly don’t need more competitive balancing right now than the Mariners or Reds.
Or White Sox. I know they play in a large market, but there is also another team in Chicago and they consistently draw bottom 5 in attendance