Jun
11
2009 Draft: Day Three Linkage
ByWelcome to the first ever Day Three of the MLB Draft. Hard to believe that after two days and nearly 11 hours of drafting, there’s still 40% of this thing left to go. Here’s some links before the show gets on the road …
- Baseball America rounds up the best players still left on the board. Eight players from their top 200 draft prospects list are still available (seven high schoolers, one JuCo kid), the best being Jacksonville HS catcher Austin Maddox (#81). At this point, all of these guys are going to end up in school because no one will pay them the kind of money they want this late.
- Tenth overall pick Drew Storen became the first first rounder to officially sign this year, getting a $1.6M bonus from the Nats. Slot money for that pick was approximately $1.86M. Gotta save up that cash for Strasburg.
- The Indians are going to develop Alex White, the 15th overall pick, as a reliever. Epic front office fail.
- Keith Law gives his take on five teams’ drafts so far. He doesn’t mention the Yanks, but did have an interesting bit on the Pirates draft strategy; allow me to quote: “Their philosophy is that high school arms are so volatile that paying premium prices in the first round is a poor strategy, and that the value of that first pick (when you might get a premium bat or college arm) is too high to surrender, so try to stockpile young arms in later rounds.” It makes sense for a team like Pittsburgh to do this because they need all the talent they can get, but at some point you have to take a shot on guys with star potential early.
- Make sure you also check out yesterday’s KLawChat. More draft knowledge than you know what to do with.
- WIBW.com notes that Yanks’ 25th rounder Shaeffer Hall threw a no-hitter against Army earlier this year. The Black Knights weren’t a total pushover this year, finishing at 36-21, so that’s quite the accomplishment. Hall led the Big 12 Conference with a 0.97 BB/9 this season.
- The Daily Commercial has a bit on 15th rounder Shane Greene, who caught the Yanks’ eye during a workout after coming back from Tommy John surgery throwing harder than before.
- Great quote from New Mexico State catcher Jeff Farnham, the Yanks 27th round pick: “I know (the bonus) isn’t going to be much, maybe a couple of a grand and an airplane ticket to Florida. But I would play for free. I just want a fair chance.”
You can see all of the Yanks’ picks here. You can follow along the final twenty rounds with Draft Tracker when the draft resumes at 11:30. Liveblog will be along shortly.
Sausage links > draft links.
claro
I still don’t agree that the Pirate’s draft strategy is a good one. It’s all great and wonderful saying that they don’t trust high-school arms and all but how can you pass on guys like that? It’s like the Padres passing on Verlander, you know the kid’s floor is probably Jose Veras (plenty of gas, no idea where it’s going) and his ceiling is in the HOF.
As for saving money to sign your picks later, why not just spend more? I really hope the Yankees can put themselves in a position one of these years where they can grab 3 or 4 early picks (could happen next year if Damon or maybe even Pettite would not accept arbitration) and just blow everybody away. I mean look at the draft the Mariners could have had
2-Ackley
27-Scheppers
33-Brothers
and that’s just the guys I can come up with off the top of my head in a year where not a lot of guys fell. Same thing with the Nationals who could have had both Strasburg and Matzek.
My basic question is this, could spending something like 30 million (or about a third of what the Red Sox spent to negotiate with Dice-K) spent on the draft be enough to completely turn an organization around? If so, why not do it?
not all teams are made of money. it costs a lot of money to run a baseball franchise especially if it’s not a successful one. sure there’s revenue sharing in place, but 1) not every team owner is george steinbrenner and 2) not every team is the yankees.
My question is, why wouldn’t they do this? I mean a 1-2 punch of Strasburg and Matzek could put people in the seats for years to come and make the team actually good. I would think a team like the A’s would have tried something like this already
theoretically after the fact; strasburg, matzek + scheppers!!!
The Pirate Strategy outlined in this post and by KLaw very interesting. Moreso that the Pittsburgh front-office is that open about their organization philosophy. Hmmm.
Additionally, while not knowing all that much about the guys drafted by the Yankees after Day 1 – I offer the following commentary:
I like the Balance of Lefty-Righty Arms so far. Also, HS & College talent seems to be well-balanced thus far. I am surprised, though, to see so few middle IFers (I am guessing they will be drafting middle IFers heavily in the later rounds?).
I’m sure they’ll pick up a bunch of them in the later rounds just to fill the rosters. I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see them sign a few big name middle infielders on international signing day
As for saving money to sign your picks later, why not just spend more?
Because they aren’t using Monopoly money and are operating within a budget.
My basic question is this, could spending something like 30 million (or about a third of what the Red Sox spent to negotiate with Dice-K) spent on the draft be enough to completely turn an organization around? If so, why not do it?
Because they aren’t using Monopoly money and are operating within a budget.
CWIDT?
I realize that they’re not using Monopoly money. I’m making the argument that they would make more money going this route. Take some of these guys and you could be the next Rays (a team that’s suddenly more popular than they’ve ever been).
No, I agree with you. However, it’s not a simple theory to be put into practice because the money just has to be there. Hell, even the most expensive drafts barely clear the $10,000,000 mark.
Exactly, if I were running a team, I’d just spend 20 million on the draft every year. Get a team of solid young guys and either trade them a year before they reach free agency, sign them to Longoria-type contracts or take the two draft picks which you can use to start the cycle over again. If you play in a small market, you get something like 40 million a year in free money and I’d plan on spending 80 between the draft and payroll so it’s probably going to make money
Exactly. You’re probably right that the Pirates dropping, say, 25M on this draft by taking every single elite talent possible and paying them their high bonus demands to get them in the system probably pays off in the long run by giving them an awesome team capable of winning titles 5 to 6 years from now, a team fans would pay money to come watch.
The problem is, if the payoff isn’t until 5 years from now, dropping all that money on the draft up front probably bankrupts the team while they wait for the kids to mature, and the owners are forced to sell off the club because they can’t make payroll. They’d be subsidizing the NEXT ownership group of the Pirates by internalizing all of the losses and exporting all of the gains.
I’d love it if the Yankees could do that, too, but I don’t see Damon turning down arbitration. Even with the good year he’s had so far (that will hopefully continue), I doubt he’d get more than 13 mil on the open market.
Agreed, that’s why I’m hoping that Pettite doens’t retire and goes out to sign whomever has the 15th pick in next year’s draft. If only we’d have let Marte walk…………
Yeah, Pettitte’s probably more likely to reject arbitration. He’ll probably think he can get more than $5.5MM guaranteed out there if he doesn’t retire. Either way, it could be AP’s last year in pinstripes. But with Wang’s struggles…I just keep holding out hope that he’ll be a decent starter next year and we can roll with CC/Joba/AJ/Hughes/Wang
Yeah, I don’t even know how to look at the Wang situation anymore. It’s like he turned into Rick Ankiel on us
We declined Marte’s option so I dont think we would have received any picks
The main issue is given their current budget, and saying its hard and they can’t stick to it. Why ever sign a guy like Jack Wilson to the contract he is on, when that money could go a much longer way in the draft.
KC Royals are a great example, if you add up the Cruz, Farnsworth, and Guillen contracts, that comes out to something around 15M a year, for a bunch of players that no one wanted to sign when KC did, don’t fill some great need that will propel KC to the playoffs, and aren’t any kind of fan favorite/draw that will help sell tickets or merchandise. But 15M can sign a pretty damn good player, especially in this economy. They could have at least been in the sweepstakes for D-Lowe, made an offer to Tex, or potentially next year be able to go after someone like Jason Bay.
And otherwise 30M in a draft could turn it around, and it could be throwing money at players that are never going to make it. Just because you pay bigger bonuses to later round guys, doesn’t mean they’re going to pan out, thus it’s not a great idea especially on a tighter operating budget.
“And otherwise 30M in a draft could turn it around, and it could be throwing money at players that are never going to make it. Just because you pay bigger bonuses to later round guys, doesn’t mean they’re going to pan out, thus it’s not a great idea especially on a tighter operating budget.”
I think this is really the important point, instead of just harping on the fact that teams don’t have unlimited cash reserves. It is so incredibly unlikely that there would be enough talent out there in any one draft that one team, picking once per round (after the first couple of rounds), could find enough talent out there that they could spend $30 million on, and it’s then even less likely that the drafted talent would reach its potential. Much of that $30 million would be money thrown down the toilet. We tend to think about these things on a conceptual level, but think about it… How many guys are really out there in the later rounds who are worth a multi-million dollar investment? It’s just unrealistic, the draft doesn’t work like that.
Absolutely true, but the National’s could have done it this year. I’m not saying that one should do this every year but if you had the chance, why wouldn’t you go all in?
Thing is, would you rather have D-Lowe for 15 million a year or draft Purke and Scheppers (if the Rangers sign them both) and pay them 15 million once in addition to having them cost controlled for 6 years and then under-cost during arbitration if they make it?
And yes, I agree that you could spend 30 million and have nobody who makes it (although highly unlikely) but at the same time you could sign Juan Pierre and Jason Schmidt for a combined 20 million PER YEAR. Like you said with the Royals, they have some up and coming talent but probably don’t have all the pieces right now. Wouldn’t it be wise to put an extra couple million in the draft instead of having Farnsworthless in the pen?
KLaw might as well be on the Red Sox payroll if he isn’t already.
because he works for ESPN?
KLaw grew up a Yankees fan and worked in the Front Office of the Toronto Blue Jays. A Red Sox apologist he is not.
Who he rooted for as a kid means nothing if he’s getting fed inside information from the Red Sox in exchange for tooting their horn.
KLaw doesn’t constantly “toot the horn” of the Red Sox, he does it when they specifically deserve it. If the Sox can sign these signability guys they drafted, they’ll have deserved it.
After reading oodles and oodles of his writing, KLaw seems exceedingly evenhanded and unbiased on the balance. I’m not sure where you’re getting this from.
That’s a mighty strong, and clearly completely unsubstantiated, accusation. Stop. Just because an observer says he likes Boston’s draft doesn’t mean he’s on their payroll. You’re acting like a child.
You’re the one that needs to stop with your childish accusations.
No. Mondesi made an observation based on what you said. You made an accusation based on…I don’t know what. You have nothing to substantiate your claim that Klaw is on the Red Sox payroll. Of course, you can do that because you’re totally anonymous and will never be held accountable for borderline libeling someone.
Pseudonymity! Do we have to do away with the nicknames?
I don’t know if you read the political stuff, but this has been a hot topic the last few days.
I would never suggest the abolition of anonymity (pseudonymity, whatever). I just think we have to note its considerable shortcomings.
You’re right I don’t have any proof, but I believe it to be true based on what I’ve read for years from ESPN and BA. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m acting like a child which is what I was disputing.
Ok, I’ll take back that last sentence. My point still stands. How about yours?
I don’t take back anything because I believe KLaw and those folks at BA are fed inside information from certain clubs in exchange for good things said about their organizations. Furthermore, the New York Yankees don’t have that type of arrangement, therefore, they get the negative reporting from KLaw, Callis and such.
Meh. Well, then, based on your comments here in this thread today, I do think you’re being childish. You’re accusing someone of engaging in a conspiracy without any evidence that any such conspiracy actually exists or that this person is involved in it, and you seem to think this person is engaged in this conspiracy only because he happens to like Boston’s draft (an opinion shared by many draft observers). That’s childish, to put it kindly.
To put it kindly, I don’t care what you think of me because your comments means nothing to me. Furthermore, my comments about KLaw means nothing to him so get a grip that we’re just talking here.
Obviously, these draft guys get fed info from teams because they havent seen up close 90% of these prospects.
Callis and KLaw are good but to think they dont have relationships with teams is naive.
Joshua (Annapolis, MD)
Why are the Phillies in love with tool-laden athletes who can’t hit a baseball? Can you say anything nice about their draft?
Keith Law
They’ll definitely win the Gulf Coast League flag-football title this year.
loved it
hahaha
They’ve still got nothing on our 3-on-3 halfcourt basketball prospect team of Brackman, AJax, and C.J. Henry.
i hope brakman has more control on his jump hook then his pitches
Seeing as how C.J. Henry’s only tie to the organization is the tuition checks the Yankees are providing him, I’d have to replace him with *CC Sabathia.
*Yes, I am in every way that just because CC is a large black man who grew up in an urban neighborhood I expect him to have at least a 50 tool in the low-post. Then again, Dwight Howard continues to dispel that notion.
Or you could just put Jeter on the team. After all, he ain’t all white
/Sheff’d
IETC.
(golf clap)(exaggerated Shaquille-O’Neal-like histrionics)“(exaggerated Shaquille-O’Neal-like histrionics)”
Caaaaannnnn You Diggggg Iiiiiitttt?
Alpha Phi Alpha Stuart Scott: Um… How did you get so many Q’s?
Omega Psi Phi Shaquille O’Neal: Don’t worry about it.
what a mistake by the cleveland indians. i see they’re going the seattle mariners route of developing first round pitching talent.
Indians = the new Mariners?
get out of my head.
If I had a nickel for every time you/Bigmike and I said that to each other, I’d have a shitload of nickels.
/Reemer
P.S. Fuck the haters: The Everglow is a great album. Now, where’s Slade775 so I can finally agree on something with him? Or did Tate drop teh banhammerz on him (again)?
Reemer: Wake up bitch! You’re my new best friend.
Squeak: Really? Are we going to the zoo?
Dude.
i was going to make a joke about being on the yankees (since we did, after all, sign a ’slade’) but couldn’t word it right.
as for 775- he’s permanently banned lol
Actually, Brandon Morrow is heading back to the rotation.
Score one for brains!
Is he? I thought at the beginning of the year they said he was going to close from now on.
Yeah, they just changed course. Back to the rotation for Morrow.
The Mariners are a bunch of flip-floppers.
Sincerely,
John Kerry
With that quote Jeff Farnham’s grit tool just went through the roof
Jeff Farnham is officially my new favorite Yankee (non)prospect.
Yep.
On the 20-80 scale, his grit tool is “Fuck you and your stupid numeric tools, I play the game from my gut, you spreadsheet nerd.”
On the scouting scale of 20-80, Farnham’s grit tool was rated as “fucking awesome”
They don’t put your grit number on the scoreboard for a reason.
Maybe. But his NQ (Negotiating Quotient) leaves a lot to be desired! Never admit you would play for nothing or you will play for nothing.
is that THE pat white from wvu that they drafted so late?