Update

by John Sickels on Aug 11, 2009 4:54 PM EDT

In case you missed it, the Pirates signed Louisiana high school right-hander Zach Von Rosenberg as a sixth round pick for $1.2 million. He was worthy of going in the supplemental first round on draft day, so this is further evidence that the Pirates are committed to building from within and will take signability risks. I picked him in the fifth round of the Twins Shadow Draft, and would certainly pay that price for him.

My main focus here for the next period of time is reviewing the Top 20 Prospect lists from pre-season and seeing how they look now. I will try to do two lists a day, though travel plans might delay that at times. I'm heading on another road trip this week, down to Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Tomorrow I will post list reviews for the Cardinals and Blue Jays.

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Are you going to be in Tulsa tommorrow?

that would be a prime day to be there as Martin Perez, yes, he’s 18 yrs old, will be making his AA debut and it would be pretty awesome if you got to see it and report on it.

"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"

by blalock84 on Aug 11, 2009 6:23 PM EDT reply actions

nope

No, due to family obligations I can’t get down to Tulsa until Thursday. However, I will be in Tulsa again on Monday, so perhaps Perez will start that game too.

by John Sickels on Aug 11, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Frisco won't be there on Monday

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Aug 11, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

dammit

Good point….for some reason part of me still thinks of Tulsa as a Rangers farm team, not a Rockies farm team. Old programming.

by John Sickels on Aug 11, 2009 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

ugh

well, thats too bad for you. I might have to just drive up there

"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"

by blalock84 on Aug 11, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions

hmm

does this make up for reaching to take sanchez?

by jpahk on Aug 11, 2009 11:12 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Von Rosenberg

Wow, I see that bonus as being very high. The Giants were just able to sign their 6th round pick (he went 2 picks after ZVR), Matt Graham, for only $500,000. I realize that ZVR ended up being rated a lot higher on most boards, but I would argue that, with a few tweaks of his mechanics and some good coaching, Graham’s ceiling is higher than ZVR’s.

Even if you don’t agree with that, you have to admit that the Pirate’s strategy of drafting Tony Sanchez at #4 looks even more suspect now. They ended up shelling out $4.7M for just Sanchez and ZVR alone. Instead of that, they could have had Zack Wheeler at #4 and ZVR for only about $5M, with a good chance of Sanchez (or another top catcher) still being available with their 1st round supplemental pick for only $700K more. That’s just one example, the possibilities were endless. In the end, it just seems to me that the Pirates payed way too much money for the players they drafted. On the positive side, at least they were able to sign all of their picks from the 1st 9 rounds this year.

"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner

by Fla-Giant on Aug 12, 2009 4:43 AM EDT reply actions

How does it look more suspect now? They took the C they believed was the best C in the draft at 4 to save money (they saved less than they thought I think since he signed for just over slot but they still saved money on the guys we and analysts have been saying they should have taken) and then backed that up with several high ceiling picks that they went above slot for. If their draft budget was $10 mill (which I believe NH said was approved for each of his first 3 years) and they spent $7 mill on 1.4, they have $3 mill for the other 49 rounds. If they sign someone for $2.5 mill (I think Sanchez signed for about that), they have $7.5 mill left for the other 49 rounds.

Besides, you are assuming Zach Von Rosenberg would have signed for less because the Giants picked signed for less and that makes no sense what so ever. Hindsight is always 20/20, the Pirates took their top guy and the C they believed to be the best in the class with their top pick and you shouldn’t being faulting them for doing so. As DePodesta said on his blog last year, there really are no overdrafts. It’s impossible to guess what 29 other teams are going to do so you make your draft board with the players you like the most at the top and do what you can to get those guys which Sanchez obviously was one of them.

by jfish26101 on Aug 12, 2009 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Math?

Correction:

They ended up shelling out ~~$4.7M~~ $3.7M for just Sanchez and ZVR alone. Instead of that, they could have had Zack Wheeler at #4 and ZVR for only about ~~$5M~~ $4M

"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner

by Fla-Giant on Aug 12, 2009 5:28 AM EDT reply actions

Pirates signed HS pitchers Von Rosenberg, Cain, Stevenson and Dodson to above slot contracts and college catcher Sanchez is hitting in WV. Also signed Black, Pounders, Baker and Chambers to slot or below slot deals. Likely will have out spent all major league teams on their draft except the Nationals because of Strasburg. So basically they did what they said they would do so I’m not going to complain.

by haven on Aug 12, 2009 8:09 PM EDT reply actions