Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Draft Thoughts

The Red Sox drafted a couple of high upside guys with signability problems: Matthew Laporta in the 14th round (1B, University of Florida) and Lars Anderson in the 18th (1B, HS out of Califonia). I assume those guys only fell so far because every other team considered their price tags out of line, but since picks in those rounds are so unlikely to make the majors anyway, those selections may be worth a shot anyway. Maybe their demands will come down.

The Mets didn't have a first round pick this year, but despite that, didn't end up signing their big draft-and-follow guy, Pedro Beato. What I heard was that MLB made it clear that they didn't want the Mets to give more than a $800,000 bonus to a guy drafted in the 17th round. So the Mets didn't sign him, and he ended up going 32nd to the Orioles.

The Dodgers made what most people seem to think is a reach when they drafted Preston Mattingly (yes, there's another Mattingly kid) 31st. Most teams love good bloodlines - it's like drafting horses. The Mets took Jeremy Barfield (son of Jesse, brother of Josh) in the ninth round.

The Yankees got Joba Chamberlain with their pick in the supplemental first round - I've heard his name a decent amount, and I think he could have gone higher. He has a history of weight problems (he was 300 pounds just a few years ago), but supposedly has one of the best arms in the draft. The Yankees did not end up drafting Danny Almonte...yet. He's still undrafted after the first day.

4 comments:

Ross said...

Baseball America just ranked Joba Chamberlin #18, although they also mentioned that teams feel his is an injury risk.

Ross said...

The Yankees 8th round pick was also an interesting one. He dropped because he wants 1st round money (a $1 million signing bonus).

He's a high-schooler so the Yankees are going to take the draft-and-follow route with him, and depending on how he looks in the upcoming Junior College season will give him an appropriate offer before next June's draft.

Warren said...

We'll see if the Yankees run into the problem the Mets had with Beato, where MLB won't really let the Yankees give him first round money.

Greg said...

That's what I'm worried about with the two guys you pointed out that the Red Sox drafted. Of course, George probably has no problem blowing off a request from the commissioner, and the Red Sox have on occasion spent a little more freely than Bud would have liked. If they wait until just before next year's draft, though, there could be a new salary slotting system in place by then in the new CBA, so whatever they pay their picks wouldn't affect 2007.