Jun
06
Yanks’ 9th round pick, #290 overall
ByWith their 9th round pick, the Yanks’ selected Mikey O’Brien, RHP, Hidden Valley HS (Va.)
Scouting Report: A short (5’11″) righthander, O’Brien works with a low-90′s fastball, a good changeup and a solid curve. He commands his pitches exceptionally well, and could add a tick or two as he fills out. He can hit a little too, leading his team in RBI as a senior.
My Take: I love the pick. He’s got a strong commitment to Winthrop, but anytime you take a 5’11″ player named Michael (just like me), you done good. And, well, he sounds like a heck of a pitcher too.
Outlook: If they sign him, he’ll get a few innings in the Rookie level GCL.
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The Tyler Austin Watch
This Maronde and Webb anticipation is driving me nuts.
Maronde is the big one. Webb wants $1.6M, I think he’s going to end up in school.
I’m assuming money is not an object compared to the other 27 organizations (Red Sox, Tigers) when it comes to the draft, not necessarily a non issue overall right?
If the Yanks like a guy, they’ll pay him, but they won’t through money around for the heck of it. The Angels, D-Backs and Rangers are some other big spenders.
Looks like a solid pick
Kruml (11th round pick) is a speedy, slap-hitting, super defending centerfielder.
Is he young Derek Jeter fast? Or Michael Bourn uber fast?
So basically Gardner?
Gardner’s better.
White kid slated to go to Winthrop? Gotta be a rarity.
Kruml was drafted by the Diamondbacks a few years ago…looks like a really speedy centerfielder; pretty interesting pick there.
I haven’t really been following the Tigers’ picks as much as I should be, though; I think they’re always a wild card when it comes to signability talent, and I’m curious to know what they’ve been targetting today after (seemingly) drafting more for need the first few rounds of Day 1. Of course, the Red Sox are always a risk to make a big splash in the later rounds, too…thankfully, the Yankees pick before them.
I noted yesterday from a poster on the forums at nyyfans.com how a guy who reports on the Standford baseball team said Jeremy Bleich was pitching at 93-94MPH when he finally got right after the injury, this could really be a big pick.
Yeah apparenly he was slotted to be stanford’s ace next year, and the elbow injury isn’t serious like Brackman’s was
Shit, there goes Danny Webb.
Is Robert Webb Daniel Webb?
Yes he is, never mind.
Interesting that Arizona was the team to take a flier on him; for some reason I don’t see that deal getting done. But who knows; stranger things have happened.
seems like they are going in heavy on Cape Cod League players…
It looks like they are prefering guys with a little experience.
And the wood bat factor, know what your getting more, figure if they want real young & raw they can sign out LA
Greinke related to Greinke?
Luke to Zack that is…
Yes, Luke Greinke is Zach Greinke’s brother. He’s not as good as his bro, but he’s a decent pitcher. Had a crappy junior year, stuff is above-average usually.
Alex Meyer, clap clap clapclapclap!
Maronde before Meyer. But that’s just my own personal opinion. Wouldn’t it be something if Arizona snags two signability guys with successive picks, though? Try and sign one or the other? Since no one else is biting on the really big ones, it seems…
And I have no problem with the Yankees going for Cape Cod League players, it’s a good exhibition of talent on a relatively equal playing field. At least, it’s one of the closest approximations to it, anyway.
Edited by RAB admin. Sorry dude, I know you got it from NYYFans, but we can’t have BA’s subscriber only stuff copied and pasted here.
it was edited, but who was the info about?
Greinke.
Oh my bad, didn’t know it was from BA.
Where do you think Venditte will go?
Whoever is calling in the Dodgers’ picks is annoying the hell out of me.
Are you surprsied Long hasn’t been taken yet? Wasn’t he supposed to be taken much earlier?
Not really. I still think he’s a football players miscast as a pitcher.
Dunno anything about Rye…
and youre supposed to be our draft guru?
I’m not a draft guru, I just play one on the internet.
i was just kidding… doing a great job.
I was actually just going to ask about that. He’s the only pick so far I’ve actually seen play (I go to Florida), and he’s had a knack for killing us over the last couple years with timely hitting, but I really don’t know what I’m looking at when it comes to a scouting perspective.
John Rye looks like he has a decent swing and a pretty good arm out in RF.
I like the Yanks’ 8th round pick – Dan Brewer out of Bradley. I could see him being a Justin Snyder type. Gets on base a lot, hits for power, plays different positions and makes a lot of errors. Was also a Cape Cod all-star, apparently. Has 21 homers and 47 steals over his three years, and had a 28-26 BB-K ratio this year.
Probably not big upside but you need some steady production, too.
When you call him a Justin Snyder type .. i sorta had to chuckle. Isn’t Snyder playing in A ball ? I mean he’s had a pretty good season , but i just find it funny you’d compare a draftee to an A ball player.
Lmao @ this:
“Any teams drop out [of the draft] yet?”
“I think the Astros did in the first round.”
Rye hit .372/10/61 in 234ABs in 2007 and was a pre-season All-American entering 2008.
Phelps has good stuff, low-90′s fastball, curve, change. Lacks commands, really needs to iron out that delivery. He’s a Damon Oppenheimer draftitis special: he had a crappy junior year after dominating as a freshman and sophomore.
I was just starting to think about that. Oppenheimer seems to have a knack for going after draftitis guys.
Do you think the Yanks have had a disappointing draft so far? Any huge highlights/disappointments?
No, it’s been solid. Its only the 15th round, they’ll almost certainly grab some signability guys in the remaining 35 rounds to make it look sexier.
No.
Highlight: Cole (and the more info I get on Bleish the better I’ve been feeling)
Time to grab Maronde and Meyer. No more effing around.
Mooneyham to the Padres. I concur; it’s the 15th round, time to make some splashes.
Yanks must be convinced that these guys are gonna want more than 1 million bucks. Lets not forget that there’s the international signings still to come. Michael Inoa anyone?? That’s money the org has to invest in another crop of young players.
At some point there’s a budget. Signing Brett Marshall would be a coup as it is..
What’s so good about Maronde? Do you have a scouting report or something? I don’t know much about him.
Here:
http://riveraveblues.com/2008/.....eals-2883/
Did the Pads just take a signability guy? Wow.
The Pads have a quality organizational staff; I’d love to read DePodesta’s take on Monneyham on his blog later today.
And DePodesta posted his blurbs through the 15th round; I won’t pretend to be an expert at reading between the lines or interpreting short sentences, but he seems just a tad resigned to the fact that Mooneyham might be an impossible sign:
“Sounds pretty good, huh? That’s why Baseball America rates him as one of top 100 prospects in the draft, and many people believe that he is the best left-handed high school pitcher in the country. At this point, though, Brett is planning to attend Stanford in the fall.”
The red sox just took a left handed high school pitcher John Lally and passed on Maronde. Interesting that both the yankees and the sox are staying away from Meyer and Maronde.
I get the feeling the Yankees, Tigers, Mariners, and Red Sox are just having a massive stare-down contest right now, seeing which team is first to blink and gamble on Maronde or Meyer.
We’re entering Round 16: I’d say that within the next eight rounds, one or both of those players will be off the board. Perhaps even within the next four.
That or they’ve all made the conscious decision that those two aren’t worth what Boras is going to ask to sign them? Don’t know.
Again, I think that’s what makes it such a high-stakes gamble. When does the risk of not signing the player become mitigated by the (increasing) improbability of choosing an impact with a later-Day 2 pick? While I’m sure any one of those teams would love to bring one of the four players Mike A. mentioned below with a pick in the next few rounds, I think they’d equally love another team picking them and failing to sign.
At some point, though, the opportunity cost won’t be so high as to be the barrier it apparently is right now. I thought Mooneyham going to the Pads was an indication that that barrier is falling.
either that or the fans of the yanks, tiges, sox, and those remaining of a seattle-based baseball club are having a massive stare-down
So within the next 120-240 picks? Just kidding with you.
Why would they be having a staring contest? Right now you roll with signability guys or mediocre college players.
Not much of a gamble as far as the pick goes. The money on the other hand might be an issue.
I think it’s time to stop staring other teams down right now. Odds are, a regular 16th round talent isn’t going to have an impact at the major league level. Take Meyer and/or Maronde and gamble that you can sign them. If not, it’s not the end of the world. Missing out on a pick around this time of the draft is not the end of the world.
On the other hand, if they draft and sign guys like Maronde and/or Meyer, the payoff is potentially huge. Granted, the same argument could have been made in an even earlier round, but if teams like the Padres are picking signability guys now, it’s time to stop messing around.
Meyer, Maronde, Zach Cox and Harold Martinez are the best available.
I think they all end up going to school. harold Martinez had a shot at being a first rounder but blew it with a bad year. if he taps his tools potential and stays at SS — he’ll be a no.1 pick candidate in 3 years.
Does Richardson play short and pitcher?
Yeah in HS he did, but the Yanks took him as a pitcher.
Heh, Richardson uncorked a pitch in his scouting video that registered 109.
Decent fastball
That was a false reading. I didn’t even see him throw the ball yet.
Oh of course. Still fun to watch though. Lincecum had some 110′s and 112′s in his scouting video because of his arm speed.
looks like it, but seems like he was drafted as the pitcher.
Man, Royals are having a great draft. Saito has a HUGE arm, even if he’s only 5’9″.
Yeah I’m really disappointed that we did not draft him. He can easily become a great lefty reliever out of the pen. We have none of those!
In the blog you had said Venditte could be a 5th or 6th rounder i think…what happened? Is he asking for a lot of money? Is he not as good as his numbers say? Does nobody want the circus that he’ll bring?
I was wrong.
This goes so fast, how do these guys keep up?
Someone mentioned in Goldstein’s chat at Baseball Prospectus today that the Red Sox plan on making Kelley a starter. That’s the first I heard of that; all the major analysists seemed to assume they’d develop him as a shortstop.
I know he was a 2-way player and therefore has good potential for both, but…huh. What’s your thoughts, Mike?
Huh, interesting. If that’s what they feel is best for him, then so be it.
i had heard he himself wanted to be a full time player, so i wonder if the org is overruling him?
For what it’s worth, Goldstein suggested some scouts saw C. Kelly as comparable to Hicks on the mound from a pure talent perspective, but said Cole is tops among high school arms (again, pure talent perspective).
*Shrugs shoulders* I would think the Sox try Kelly as a shortstop, and if it seems like his bat doesn’t develop, convert him to pitcher, then. It’s not like the Red Sox are known for rushing their prospects, but hey, if they think he’ll be successful as a starter, turn him into a starter.
Addison Maruszak? I know nothing about the player, but I love that name.
I thought Kelley wasn’t interested in pitching? I thought he was only going to sign as a SS? Maybe those reports aren’t correct. Or maybe they can throw enough money his way to change his mind. He’s got a spot as a QB at Tennesse. Interesting to see how those negotiations go.
Hicks said that, not sure if Kelly did. Who cares, let’s hope the Sox screw him up
TB future up the middle of Beckham & Beckham
Anders looks like he has solid college batting #s
big frame–power potential?
Ryan Babineau? Heh, nice pick by the D-Backs.
Jamie Mallard to the Angels, God Dammit.
There goes Mallard for all you fans of the fat boy.
saw him in s.t. maruszak
Ah, I knew the name was familiar.
Come on, Maronde or Meyer. Need something interesting to talk about.
LoL, you too eh?
What’s Ander’s story, 24 HR in about 400 at-bats isn’t bad
Palazzone is a great pick by the Braves.
any thoughts on NoMass’ latest name: Jarred Cosart?
Don’t know him.
At NYYFans they say he wants top 3 round money.
Yanks pay that kind of money to low round picks all the time
So that’s like, $400,000.
Just loading up on org players at this point.
Jarret Martin is a great pick for the O’s if they can get him signed and fix his delivery.
Heh, the Nats just drafted “Stephen Lombardozzi.”
Harold Martinez to the Rangers. They just might meet his $1M asking price.
there goes Martinez
Perhaps the problem with the big names right now is less signability and more discrepency between what they’re looking for and what teams see their talent as warrenting? Basically, the argument CB suggested earlier, re: all big-market teams collectively passing on these guys.
Although since right now teams are more or less going with organizational guys, the opportunity cost of staking a claim on a Maronde can’t be that high right now…
Case in point, Martinez to the Rangers. Right after someone fielded a question about him to Kevin Goldstein, too.
19th round, time to start rolling the dice. Who cares if you miss out on an org arm, sign a 5th year senior as a FA for that.
Time to put the Steinbrenner money to use and pick a signability guy.
Joba’s catcher in the 19th
Why draft catchers now? Get the big arms or someone like Cox…
Neither the yankees nor the sox like the talent in the draft. Just the feeling I get. The sox are usually very aggressive about going over slot in later rounds. Even more than the first round that’s when they usually use their financial leverage.
But they passed on the signability guys just like the yankees did. It is a turn from the way prior yankee drafts have gone. It’s a bit perplexing.
But as it is if they were serious about really going after a guy like Maronde or Meyer I think they would have done it by now. Don’t know. They were aggressive with Brett Marshall so clearly they liked him and are probably committed to signing him.
There’s still 30 rounds left to make some noise.
I hope they do. But in the past they’ve made moves in rounds 6-10ish. Yesterday I though Marshall might be a signal that they were going to make a run on signability guys.
Makes no sense to draft signability guys if they don’t like them in the first place.
Fuck. There goes Cox. Shit. Fucking Logan White.
Zach Cox to Dodgers.
Venditte!
Awesome we got Venditte again
Venditte!
FUCK YES! VENDITTE!!
There goes Meyer
Red Sox just grabbed Alex Meyer. That who you were talking about?
Yeah. Let’s see if the sign him.
Venditte!!!!
Is venditte really any good or a circus side show? c’mon … look at this through the eyes of a scout.
So if a switch hitter goes vs a switch pitcher, does the pitcher just pick a side and go to it
Whatever side the pitcher starts at is the side he has to remain.
One of our boys Rye is playing in RF on ESPN2 right now if anybodys interested
He’s batting 4th behind Posey against a pretty impressive pitcher so far
Venditte. The Yanks should have signed all these guys last year when they took them.
There goes Jason Jarvis. Don’t give him any assignments in an online music course, he’ll cheat.
there goes Long to CWS…
I’m half convinced that the Sox drafted Alex Meyer just to sit on his eligibility. They don’t want the Yanks drafting him. I think we should draft Maronde with our next pick … just in case i’m wrong.
anyone got info on Wilkes?
“A three-year starter at shortstop, who shifted to second in 2008 to accommodate freshman Chris Wade at short, Wilkes is the only everyday second baseman in the Southeastern Conference to field at a perfect 1.000 clip. Wilkes has had 226 chances, turning 31 double plays.
On the year, Wilkes has hit for a staggering .377 average, scoring 41 times, adding 11 doubles, one triple, 34 RBI and nine homers.”
I’m sure the fans in Tampa will enjoy watching him for three years.
perhaps i’m just a rookie at the whole prospects/drafting thing, but why are some so quick to dismiss a pick like a college player who performed at that kind of level in a super competitive conference?
this Wilkes cat from Kentucky was first team all SEC, hit .378, and didnt have a single error all season.
Yawn.
The Red Sox are kicking the Yankees’ ass in terms of signability pick in Day 2.
Yes. Handily.
Which tells me the Yankees just must not be high on this talent, since they’re picking ahead of the Sox every round.
Goldstein is convinced Meyer is unsignable, so we’ll see how the Red Sox do with that one.
Maybe want to save the cash for Latin american kids, heard theres a redic 16 year old pitching prostpect becoming available this year
John Rye is AB right now.
popup to 1st
he sucks! fire cashman!
LoL, the Cards selected someone named Johnny Bravo. Awesome.
can’t find a much better name than that. lol
wonder if he has the same hair?
Jeff Nutt? Heh.
The way the draft is breaking down I’d guess that he yanees are going to be spending a lot of money on international signings. A lot.
They may not be impressed with the talent in this draft and have decided that they are better off allocating their resources towards the international guys.
Even the yankees do have some kind of budget for acquiring amateur talent in a single fiscal year.
Michael Inoa is said to be perhaps the best international pitcher to come on the market since Felix Heranandez. He’s expected to get a record bonus and the yankees seem determined to sign him.
I think you have to wait and see what they do on the international signing market before you can make a judgement on this draft.
what’s a budget?
The Yanks have to be passing on signability guys because they’re preparing to throw 18 bankloads of cash at the July 2nd IFAs, right?
Yeah, sure. If it makes you feel better.
What do you think the deal is then? Why take so many org. guys if you have the cash to spend?
No idea. I’m a bit baffled.
If the Sox are able to buy Meyer out of his UK commitment, that will be a pretty big coup for them. And a big loss for the Yanks.
It does. Otherwise, the Sox have done a better job on Day 2 for sure.
Michael Inoa, yeah. That’s probably the Yankees’ amateur annual budget right there.
I want Inoa and Yorman Rodriguez.
That’s the thing. Yorman Rodriguez is supposed to have 70 power and 70 speed. How many players in this draft had that? Hewitt. I think that’s it. I’d much rather they take a shot and sign Rodriguez rather than overspend on a signability guy in the draft they don’t think is as talented.
They have a budget for signing amateur players. They just do. It’s a business. Just like they have a budget for the big league club.
Now the scales are clearly different and the draft is a much better return on investment. But the same principles hold.
If you think the talent is better on the international market one year – that’s where you should focus your resources and money.
$400,00-$500,00 isn’t a lot compared to what they spend on the big league team but it is a considerable amount when you think of what the international free agents sign for. $400.00 could be one more player.
Last year was a down year on the international market and a good one in the draft. This year it could be reversed.
IMO, its wait and see. If they add Cole and Inoa in one year I’d be pretty happy.
Not for nothing, but why the fuck has Nick Maronde not been drafted? I’m actually a bit mad at this development.
Honestly, what’s the downside to taking him now? If he doesn’t sign who cares? Who cares if they miss out on an org player? At least draft him and give the signing a chance.
Because the Yankees are going to pounce in Round 26? Right? Right?
Whoever is calling in the picks for the Dodgers needs to be kicked in the mouth.
Go easy on Tommy, it can’t be easy being irrelevant.
A HS southpaw not named Maronde, seriously, WTF?
For those who care, the Yankees pick their prep LHP with #800.
Hey, this Blake Monar kid is pretty damn good. 12-6 curve and slider are both put-away pitches right now, but his fastball is mid-to-high 80′s. At 6’2″, 185 lbs, he should add a tick or two. Very good pick in the 27th round.
I know; I actually like the pick quite a lot. Explains why the Yankees haven’t taken a flier on Maronde quite yet: they obviously think there are diamonds in the rough to be had first. Or maybe they just don’t like Maronde. I don’t know.
heh. Stiffler got draftd by the Reds
What are the hot international commodities for july 2nd ?
Names.. gimme names… please and thank you
Inoa is the biggest one, followed by Rodriguez.
More good news re: Meyer:
“Q: Jake from NYC asks:
Why did the Yankees once again let a premium talent in Alex Meyer fall to the Sox? The Yankees have just as much financial muscle as Boston if not more. GRR
A: Jim Callis: I wouldn’t sweat that one, I don’t think there’s much chance of Meyer signing unless Boston hands him a blank check.”
[This came from the free chat, by the way.]
Sounds a lot like Peavey from last year.
http://www.nyyfans.com/forums/.....p?t=109359
Enjoy!
I read Monar has some good breaking pitches but sits in the mid-80s with his heat without much projection left. Kind of odd seeing as how he’s a 6’2″ 185lb. HS pitcher but they say no projection left.
what about edward salcedo? i heard alot of rumblings about him in the past year.
Is Salcedo was half as good as he’s made out to be, someone would have signed him already. Another mythological beast of the international market…
Was he eligible last year or this upcoming july 2nd?
Who are the main targets for this years international free agent signings?
Huh, Grey off the board to the Cubbies….
Oh boy, Lassiter has game too. Excellent bat speed from the left side and a great arm. Just needs to improve his approach and defense. Now we’re talkin’.
Buster Posey just jacked his 25th HR of the season, nice job San Fran.
John Rye with an opposite field single.
That dude is scary good.
And Musgrave is no hack, he’s an outstanding pitcher. Wichita State’s entire rotation, Musgrave-Shafer-Capra, is outstanding.
Boston got Marquis. But Yankees drafted 6’6 RF Gross.
He won’t sign, he wants millions of dollars despite being a third round talent. Have fun at Vandy.
who, Gross or Marquis? that Gross fella swung and missed at everything on his draft video, but he looked monsterously tall.
NoMaas is saying Lassiter is a major signability case
and Monar for that matter
Mike Keith just gave up some kudos in his chat.
who are the top players left? any1 big?
Maronde! I don’t think Donnie Roach or Austin Dicharry (both HS RHP) have been picked either.
Maybe everyone accidentally took Maronde off their board, thinking he’s been drafted alrready?
These are the 3 guys I have left from my little draft notepad. Mike A. you said them all:
*Nick Maronde
Donnie Roach
Austin Dicharry
Rye delivers beautifully an RBI single. Nice hitting, full count, slapped one into left
2 out also, forgot to mention that
Goes from worst to greatest pick ever in 1 at bat
FYI – started a new thread
http://riveraveblues.com/2008/.....rall-2996/
I got a feeling the Yanks are going to be all in on the International guys July 2.
[...] Times has the news. I wrote up O’Brien on draft day, so you can find more info about him here. If he wasn’t a 5′-11″ righthander, O’Brien would be considered a much [...]