MOD A's Draft (1st round)
by caincecum on May 15, 2009 12:36 PM EDT
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PrintHello everyone! I'm caincecum also the Director of the A's draft for this year. No worries I have conducted a draft many times on the site. Anyway as I'm sure you know we only have two picks in this draft though, I am very interested to see how our community draft goes. We have pick #13 overall in the first round and we also have pick number #92 overall as well. There is an interesting mix of players that should be avaiable when it's our thirteenth overall pick. The latest mock draft on baseballamerica had us taking Tyler Matzek. I personally don't see him falling that far/into our lap but what a coup it would be. For those who don't know Matzek is a big high school lefty with lots of projection still remaning. He sits 90-94 right now and he is 6'3 184 pounds so it's realistic to think he can add some to his fastball. He already has two average pitches to go with his fastball in his curve and slider and has little feel for a change. Many call him the best prep lefty in CA since the great Cole Hamels
Another interesting selection or possibility would be Jacob Turner, Turner is a high school righty from St. Louis who has a good mix of polish and projection. Since his last start he has shot up draft boards due to his peaking fastball. He was primariliy sitting 90-92 but has touched 94-95 in his last start. he throws a decent slider and has little feel for a change according to reports. In a sense he seems like someone who would spend more time in the minors than Matzek but he posesses a significant ceiling.
There is also a chance Grant Green could fall to us due to his poor performance along with the fact that he wants to be paid like an elite talent. In the real draft I don't expect him to make it pass San Francisco. Green is an interesting case, last August his draft stock was hotter than a Lil Wayne single. After a mediocre season in this fall at USC scouts are starting to question how "elite" of a talent he really is. Coming off his Cape Cod league MVP campaign he was compared to scouts as a Tulowitzki/Longoria hybrid which sounds like an all star shortstop. Since then he's faltered a bit and scouts are starting to over disect his game. He is far big (around 6'2 215) but similar to Tulowitzki he has average range but an above average arm. He profiles anywhere from the 2-5 hole in a lineup. The most glaring alarm about him is his heap of strikeouts and inability to make consistent contact this season. In that sense he's similar to 08 Giants draft pick Brandon Crawford.
Another possible intruiging selection would be Kentucky's James Paxton. (from milb.com i don't want to right another report.) Paxton is a college lefty who was on the rise late in the Draft season. The Kentucky product has two potential plus pitches in his fastball, which has been up to 98 mph, and a short power slider. The third pitch, a changeup, hasn't always been on display, but he hasn't needed it much at the college level. He repeats his delivery well and can carry the velocity throughout starts, though there are some who think his command and arm action may mean he'll be a reliever in the future. At least some feel he can start and it's likely to be one of those teams that takes him off the board early.
Max Stassi (from milb.com i don't want to right another report.)
| It's a good year for prep catchers in Northern California and Stassi is one of the best in that crop. Scouts like his overall package of hitting ability, defensive ability, makeup and baseball instincts. There once was talk of moving him to an infield spot, but he profiles as natural leader behind the plate who could be one of the first catchers taken on Draft day. |
I'll be more hands on with the next post I just wanted to get it out there for disscussion I'm in class so I can't type much more anyway debate away! Who shoulkd be our first round pick?
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Keep Stassi close to home
I am a childhood friend of Stassi’s and it would be wonderful to see him come up through the A’s or Giants organization if possible. He has everything needed, setting stereotypes aside(He’s too small to be a catcher). It’s not about size, it’s about willpower.
The A's are in desperate need of a good shortstop
And I was really stoked on the idea that Green would fall to us… But he seems like one of those guys that maybe the scouts are looking at what he could be instead of what he is now. Big athletic shortstops are fun to look at, but drafting a shaky bat could be a terrible idea.
A's
I think you would need to seriously look at one of the elite prep SP prospects if they fell to you – Purke, Maztek and Miller seem the most interesting. If Green falls to 13 you have to seriously consider it despite the recent reservations about it.
re
If we want the draft to reflect reality, Leake should be at the top of the list, with Paxton and Brouthers behind. Without a second round pick, I don’t expect the A’s to gamble on a high school player, particularly a pitcher or catcher. The A’s have been conservative at the top of the draft during Beane’s entire tenure. Barry Zito was about the most adventurous pick they’ve made. Leake is one of the safest picks in the draft. Paxton is relatively safe also, but Boras might scare off there. If the A’s think Brouthers can stick as a starter, he’d be reasonable.
I wish the A’s would go ahead and take Poythress. Really, why not? Given Barton’s implosion and Carter’s lack of defensive ability, first base is a weak spot in the organization (Doolittle is nice enough, but he’s out in the outfield and he doesn’t project as a big bat anyway.) Poythress is an A’s type of player. He’s got outstanding strike zone control, big power, and he plays good defense. Yes, his college career didn’t completely take off until this year, but he was set back some by his knee injury, delayed him a bit. I’m not sure, at this moment, that he’s not the equal of what Alonso and Wallace were last year, just with a little less track record and fanfare. It really is pretty close. Given the way he’s performed so far in the minors, the A’s have to be kicking themselves over Wallace. This is a chance to rectify that mistake. And plus it would just be a fun pick. The A’s never make fun picks any more. Corey Brown is about the only high ceiling bat they’ve taken in the last ten years.
by AgitationStation on May 16, 2009 8:12 PM EDT reply actions
I think 1B is one of the A's best strengths
Carter, Barton, Doolittle, Matt Spencer, even Josh Donaldson could all stick there. As for the A’s not taking any high ceiling bats, Rashun Dixon called.
re
Donaldson doesn’t have the bat to play first. Spencer is a fringe prospect. Carter has a lead glove. Barton…is what he is; and whatever that is, he’s not a reason to pass on a player in a draft. Right now, none of those guys look like a factor at first base. Doolittle is, but he’s a good not great prospect and he’s not tied exclusively to the position. First base is an area of superficial strength for the A’s. They have good minor league players. They don’t have players likely to make an impact in the bigs (at 1B, Carter good chance at DH.)
Rashun Dixon is a project. I was talking high ceiling bat in the context of an Alonso or Wallace. Different animal. He was a fun pick though and I’m glad he’s in the organization. Hope they can find another like him this year.
by AgitationStation on May 17, 2009 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions
1B is hardly a weakness in the A’s organisation. Carter’s glove is not important if his bat continues to develop as it is. Even so there has been some good noises about Carter developing into at least an average 1B. I think you are selling Doolittle short there too. 3B and SS are much more of an organisational need but I hope the A’s don’t draft for need. With the abundance of pitching in this draft I think it is most likely the A’s end up with one of them.
Not quite sure what your point is on high ceiling bats is though. High ceiling bats like Alonso or Wallace are not usually available by the time the A’s pick unless they are projects. Corey Brown is certainly a project. So is Dixon. Richie Robnett was a high ceiling bat. Grant Desme is a high ceiling bat.
The A’s went overslot for Hunter, Coleman and Dixon last year. They gave the biggest ever bonus to an international signing with Ynoa. The don’t have any supplemental picks or a second round pick so I would imagine they would be willing to spend on their first pick if someone fell to them. I am sure the A’s are kicking themselves over Wallace – I was screaming at the computer screen when the A’s took Weeks over Wallace last year but both signed for slot. I think the A’s may have drafted for need as Ellis was a free agent at the end of the year and we hadn’t acquired Cardenas yet. If Alonso was still there when they picked I don’t think they would have passed him up though. From all I’ve read Poythress isn’t on the same level as Wallace or Alonso.
According to a poster on the A’s scout forum who used to work for the A’s and is still in contact with a number of professional scouts the A’s have been scouting Matt Purke, Matt Davidson, James Paxton, Wil Myers and Tim Wheeler quite heavily.
BPA
The A’s should take BPA with every single pick. If their scouting says a 1st baseman is BPA, take him… if it’s a high school SP like Matzek take him.
Personally I’m hoping they decide Matt Davidson is BPA, but I hear that would be considered quite a reach for him at 13. I’ve seen him called a David Wright clone though, and I have to believe that if you thought you were getting David Wright here, you’d take him regardless of what critics think. Otherwise, I voted for Matzek b/c he sounds like a beast.
I just really do not want to hear another explanation of “We thought he was the best middle infielder available.” That means: "We thought there were better players out there, we know there are, but we’re reaching here b/c of organizational need. " That is how you become the Pirates… take BPA and worry about sorting it out later. If the A’s are stuck with two amazing 1st baseman and room to play only one, you can deal one for major league talent.
I think a prep pitcher might be the way to go here
It seems completely contrary to how the A’s usually draft, but I’m wondering if the A’s might consider taking a bigger risk this year in the first round. I’m a little skeptical of the College pitchers who will be available at the 13 spot, Brothers and Paxton are interesting arms but I question if they will stick as starters, Oliver is another interesting arm but I’m not sure what to make of his struggles. Leake looks like the traditional A’s pick but he may not be there when the A’s pick.
The position prospects available at that time have a lot of question marks and I don’t know if any of them have real “impact bats”. I’m not too concerned with position at this point in the draft, I think that if the A’s go with a bat it needs to be someone who profiles as a middle of the order type hitter with at least some history of production.
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