The Minor League Ball Draft Catch-All Thread

But the fact that he’s under consideration (and there’s no other way to spin it other than KC’s scouting department being utterly incompetent) really shows the dissatisfaction that teams are feeling about this crop of college pitchers, which is becoming increasingly evident as teams are making those final checks. I think Woj would be an overdraft, but it’s good to think about what he offers so that we can understand what draws teams to him. He’s a college guy with an ideal pitcher’s build, two plus pitches, and he throws strikes. How many other guys offer that package this year?

It should probably also be said that KC is generally an organization that isn’t afraid to throw some money around in the draft, although I don’t know if the recession has affected them. If they took Woj, they could probably actually get him below slot. I’m guessing that with this draft being relatively rich in talented prep players that might drop due to signability, the Royals might try to take advantage of this by using the shopping list approach that the Pirates used last year to such great effect.

Not sure I see that . . .Fairley played himself into the first round as a signability guy with late helium, while Cabrera has been in the first round discussion for quite a while. I do think Cabrera’s power will play (it’s very impressive), just don’t think he’ll hit for average.

I wonder just how much Vanegas wants . . .I was under the impression that he was likely heading off to school because of his Stanford commitment, but he’d sign for first round money then I can add him to my Mock Draft board.

 I understand the whole “scouts are underappreciated and like having somebody talk to them” angle, and maybe that’s true, but business is business and most people understand the need to stay quiet.

Still, a scout who talks to somebody at Baseball America gives them valuable information – it’s information that they used to distinguish themselves, and that they use in the publication of materials that they charge money for. I’m guessing most if not all of those guys aren’t dumb about the business, they know the value of their information, and they want something in return. Obviously recognition isn’t the reward, because they have to remain anonymous. So what can they possible receive in return?

Pretty easy answer. My personal suspicion is that there is a LOT of “under the table” information trading that goes on unreported. Like, a scout who has recently scouted Delino DeShields (random example) gives information to Baseball America, and gets some information back from BA that another scout gave them on another prospect. Now, teams have information on pretty much every major draft prospect obviously thanks to their own organizational efforts, but trading for information from the “brokers” is an easy way to quickly check up on things and to get another perspective on a prospect of interest. This information travels faster through those networks than it ever will through the means that we have access to – that’s why all of a sudden we’ve seen Mike Kvasnicka fly up draft boards 40-50 slots seemingly overnight – teams aren’t that irrational, they’ve been on him for quite a while, and it’s only now getting written up.

Well, that’s my theory anyways.

any writer/reporter worth their salt would mostly ignore what teams say and go based on whom they are scouting.

If KC is sending area and roving scouts for 2nd and 3rd looks at a player in the month leading up to the draft then they are definitely interested. Each team has only so many scouts and can’t afford to play around this way just to throw off the opposition.