2010 Draft: Royals close to a deal with Grandal

June 5, 2010 by Mike Axisa 17 Comments

Via MLBTR, the Royals are close to reaching a deal with Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, who they would take with the 4th overall pick when the draft begins on Monday. Pre-draft deals are against the rules on many levels, which is why nothing will be officially announced by the team or even confirmed by the media. Given the NCAA’s recent track record of screwing over its athletes, I wouldn’t put ruling Grandal ineligible for the postseason past them. It’s unlikely though.

Coincidentally, the Pirates reached a pre-draft deal with Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez last year before making him the 4th overall pick. Unlike Sanchez, Grandal is a legitimate top-half of the first round talent, even though 4th overall is a bit of a reach. He wasn’t connected to the Yankees in any way, but the pieces are starting to fit in the puzzle.

ZZ

Seems like a lot of the “experts” were off base killing the Pirates for the Sanchez pick.

He is probably going to be in AA in a few weeks and on the fast track to the major leagues.
- Gonzo
  
  Not in defense of the Pirates, but they did spend cash in the later rounds.
radnom

I don’t get it.

What if another team drafts him 3rd overall (for example).

Even if it is unlikely, the team and the player can’t know it won’t happen for sure.
- Reggie C.
  
  B/c there are several players waaaaay better than Grandal available. If Grandal were a consensus top 3 pick, then yeah … there might a reason for the kid to be concerned that something could go wrong.
  
  Harper, Taillon, Machado, and Pomeranz are consensus top 3 talents. Grandal’s in the next group.
  - ZZ
    
    How do you know that there are several players “waaaay” better than Grandal?
    
    Or more importantly several players that will even end up in the major leagues, let alone be productive major leaguers?
    - Reggie C.
      
      I clearly wasn’t specific enough in my language, and my post comes off as knocking Grandal. He’s the best college catcher in the draft, and he’s supposed to be better than T. Sanchez, which means Grandal will be fast-tracked.
      
      The guys i listed offer either top-of-the-rotation potential, phenomenal power (Harper), and Arod-esque projection (machado).
      - Baseballnation
        
        Since Manny Machado is from Miami, people always have to mention Alex Rodriguez, and thats where the comparisons should end. I have no idea what “he’s arod light means” which I’ve heard from others but his ceiling is certainly not arod. That’s ridiculous.
        
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUvg7Empjfg Captain Jack
        
        1997 A-Rod is I think what they meant.
  - radnom
    
    Even if it is unlikely, the team and the player can’t know it won’t happen for sure.
    
    I already realize what you just said. I’m sure though, that there have been instances in every single draft, where everyone thought there is no way player X could possibly go before position Y and yet it happens.
    
    What I’m saying is that it is completely out of the control of the two teams making the deal, and they have no way of knowing for sure what the teams ahead of them are thinking.
  - CapitalT
    
    You can’t have four consensus top 3 talents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUvg7Empjfg Captain Jack

Bumps Chris Sale or Jameson Tailon back too…good stuff. I approve.
CT Yanqui

“Given the NCAA’s recent track record of screwing over it’s athletes . . ..”

Disappointing, since I’ve considered this to be a reasonably literate blog. If you are writers, please write correctly.
- pat
  
  :(
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUvg7Empjfg Captain Jack
  
  I’m the token asshole around here, not you.
http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

Yasmaniiiiiiiiiii. He’s a Cane. Obviously I had to comment.
- rbizzler
  
  Have you had a chance to see him play much? His stats are legit and he obviously has skills but can you offer up some first-hand insight?
  - http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten
    
    Yeah, of course I’ve seen him play. Uh, I don’t know how much insight I can offer though. I actually interviewed him a few weeks ago and it was the worst interview I have ever done, he said nothing so that is what I will always think of when I hear his name lol. But on the field, he’s your typical power-hitting catcher, I think. I didn’t get to see as much Canes baseball as I would have liked to this year, but he’s obviously a great hitter, he seemed to be good at blocking balls in the dirt. He was the ACC Player of the Year, so yeah, he’s pretty good.