Draft Reaction Thread
Okay, so this is our thread for the first three rounds of the draft, which will take place starting at 3 pm today. Remember, please be nice to our servers. You guys shut us down every year on draft day, so let’s not do that for a change, okay? If you’re going to leave a comment, make it insightful. “Ackley!!! WOO!” isn’t going to do anything other than put a strain on our server for no real reason. If your comment is less than a sentence or two, consider not posting it. If the server load gets too tough, we’ll have to shut comments off to keep the site alive. Be nice to us. Also, remember, no game thread tonight.
Okay, with that out of the way, here’s the latest about an hour before the thing kicks off.
Everyone thinks the M’s are taking Dustin Ackley #2 overall. Hooray.
#27 is getting interesting. Outside of the M’s, no one really knows how much money the team is willing to throw at the player they select there. If the rumors of a pre-draft deal with Steven Baron at #33 are true, they could have the resources to take a pitcher like Aaron Crow, Tanner Scheppers, or Kyle Gibson at #27. All three could fall to that spot, and the M’s are considered a potential landing spot for each of them.
If they don’t want to go over slot for the 27th pick, high school shortstop Nick Franklin and outfielder Max Walla are both being attached to the M’s. Franklin’s a switch-hitting guy with with some offensive ability and the defensive chops to stay at short. Walla is a hitter, through and through. Conor Glassey wrote him up for Baseball America yesterday.
I still expect the M’s to take Baron at #33. With the way players are falling due to signability, the M’s look pretty smart for working out a pre-draft deal before all the high school kids started demanding seven figure bonuses. Even if they don’t take one of the name guys at #27, having Baron signed for less than slot at #33 will allow them to be aggressive at #51 and #82, and given the way the draft is falling, there’s a pretty good chance that one of the sure fire first rounders falls to them in the second round, if they’re looking to go over slot at some point today.
Should be interesting.
So how long is the break between the 1st and Comp round?
#33. Steven Baron (Catcher) John A. Ferguson High School (FL)
Going to be a tough sign.
Baron and not Scheppers? Fuck…
Gee, if only someone would have told you that the team was taking Baron last week…
Jack has to be confident they can sign Baron. Cus right now that looks like the worst pick of the draft if he isn’t going to sign……..
You did tell us Dave…doesn’t mean we have to like the pick…
If Dave likes it, I do. When are you guys going to learn?
If Scheppers is there in round 2, then I’m totally cool with it…
I read Dave’s explanation of Baron last week and it made sense. But wasn’t that contingent on taking a high cost high reward pitcher at 27, like Paxton? With Franklin being presumably cheaper, wouldn’t that have allowed us Paxton or Scheppers at 33 and Baron at 51, while still coming roughly under budget?