2010 Draft: Day Two Links

We’ve all had a night to sleep on the Cito Culver pick, and from what I can gather many fans are still miffed about the selection. It’s over and done with people, once he signs he’s a Yankee just like the rest of ’em, and we should all root for him to do well. There’s still 98% of the draft left to go. Look ahead, not back.

Before we get to some draft links, let’s give it up to commenter Meat Loaf, who kinda called the Culver pick six hours before the draft yesterday. Someone buy that (wo)man a lotto ticket. Anyway, here’s some links to check out before we kick off our Day Two coverage when the draft resumes at noon ET…

• In his day one winners and losers article (sub. req’d), Keith Law says of the Yanks’ pick: “The Yankees see Culver as a shortstop with a chance to hit for average and some power, and he has a plus arm, but there are mixed opinions on whether or not he’s going to stay at short. On the flip side, the Yankees had Culver on their Area Code Games team last summer and probably knew him as a player and as a person better than any other team could have.”
• Meanwhile, Frankie Piliere had this to say in his Day One analysis piece: “It’s easy to bash, but teams have a solid feel for signability players who will be available further down the line. Culver was evaluated high on their board and got stellar grades from the MLB Scouting Bureau this spring, grades that could have pushed him into the top 25. This is an example of a club not worrying about public perception and taking the guy scouts evaluated as being best for the organization.”
• With a hat tip to Bryan Hoch, here’s a recent article on Culver and his troubled family life, including a video interview.
• J.J. Cooper at Baseball America lists the best players still on the board, led by Ohio prep RHP Stetson Allie. I’m not an Allie fan, but there’s plenty of other great players available, including RHP Brandon Workman of Texas, Florida prep RHP A.J. Cole, and (personal fave) former Kentucky LHP James Paxton, who spent the spring in an indy league.
• The Yanks got their high school hitter in the first round, and are rumored to be targeting a high school pitcher for their second pick. One name to watch is Robby Rowland, a big power arm with a diverse repertoire and lots of room to fill out.
• No link for this one, but from what I can gather MLB’s recommended slot bonus for the 32nd overall pick is about $954,000. Don’t quote me on that though, it’s just an estimation based on the last few years. Chances are Culver will crack a mil.