Revisiting Draft Reactions
by Lesterfan on May 15, 2011 12:41 AM EDT
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While I was looking at box scores today I noticed Kris Johnson, a Sox supplemental round pick in 06, got absolutely shelled. I remember back when drafted him I liked the pick and it hasn't turned out well. This got me to thinking about my reactions to Red Sox picks and if they were justified reactions or not. I figured I'd look at their first and supplemental round picks form 06-10 and analyze whether my reactions were appropriate.
2006
1st rounder: Jason Place.
Reaction: Hated it, thought it was a reach and I didn't like some of the things I heard about him (free swinger, cocky sense of entitlement).
Reality: Released this year, never lived up to his tools and is now scuffling for the Yankees high A team
1st rounder: Daniel Bard
Reaction: Loved it, if I remember correctly he was a top 15 prospect that they got at the end of the first round, great value.
Reality: Has become a very good set up man and should be a fixture in the Sox bullpen for years.
Supplemental Rounder: Kris Johnson
Reaction: Liked it a lot, lefty without a lot of mileage on his arm.
Reality: Hasn't done anything in the last 3 years. Busto
Supplemental Rounder: Caleb Clay
Reaction: Didn't know what to think, recently converted position player with out a lot of data. I figured he had a lot of upside as he was new to pitching.
Reality: Still young but hasn't shown anything that suggests he will be a factor in the MLB.
2007
Supplemental Rounder: Nick Hagadone
Reaction: Wasn't happy, I didn't like the fact that he was basically destined to be a reliever and since the Sox didn't have a lot of draft picks this year I was hoping for a more exciting player
Reality: Missed on this one, he's had spurts of success as a reliever and is dominant this year. He was also part of the trade that brought Vmart to Boston.
Supplemental Rounder: Ryan Dent
Reaction: Liked it, Dent came out as a toolsy middle infielder with upside. He was very raw but I was fooled by his upside
Reality: Still young, but hasn't ever come close to having a productive season.
2008
First Rounder: Casey Kelly
Reaction: Was a bit mixed. I loved the athleticism and upside but I didn't like the fact that he hadn't picked a position yet and I was worried he'd stunt his development time farting around with both options
Reality: An excellent pitching prospect who was the centerpiece of the Adrian Gonzalez deal, a great pick.
Supplemental Rounder: Bryan Price
Reaction: Wasn't a huge fan of the pick. Rice pitchers scare me to begin with and he didn't have a ton of success in school.
Reality: Traded to Cleveland, was pretty successful out of the bullpen last year but is struggling this year. May make the majors but doesn't look to be an impact player.
2009
First Rounder: Reymond Fuentes
Reaction: Was shocked at the pick like most Sox fans. I was intrigued by his athleticism and reports of wiry strength but I felt it was a bit of a reach.
Reality: Traded to San Diego. Holding his own in High-A as a 20 year, solid prospect.
2010
First Rounder: Kolbrin Vitek
Reaction: Really wanted Ranaudo with this pick so at the time I was furious. After the Sox picked up Cecchini, Brentz, Ranaudo, and Coyle I warmed up to the pick because it made sense to get an easy sign who still had some upside.
Reality: Doing pretty well at Salem. People on Sox prospects have heard things about his defense improving at 3rd. Has done well so far.
Supplemental Rounder: Bryce Brentz
Reaction: Was very excited about this one. The Sox system was devoid of power bats and a polished guy like Brentz who had the potential to rise quickly excited me.
Reality: Sucked horribly last year which caused him to be placed in Low-A Greenville where he is absolutely raking. Needs to be promoted.
Supplemental Rounder: Anthony Ranaudo
Reaction: This sums up what I was feeling when the pick was made: http://gifsoup.com/view/131815/carlton-dance.html
Reality: Has been good but inconsistent. He's had some struggles peppered in between absolute dominant starts. One of my favorite prospects to follow as I absolutely love his upside.
My track record is a bit spotty. I completely whiffed on the 07 draft and I was wrong about Kris Johnson but that's the fun of prospecting.
So what about you guys, which picks have surprised you? Who were you wrong about?
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Padres
2010: Karsten Whitson. I wanted them to take him, and they did. Granted, I wanted them to take him AND SIGN HIM. Was worried they might take Kolbrin Vitek—and they essentially did, just in the next round and in the form of Jedd Gyorko.
2009: Donovan Tate. I was absolutely terrified that they were going to take Mike Minor—remember, this was back when he was projected as an almost-ready back end starter—and I wanted them to take Tyler Matzek. That pick would have looked awful right about now. Tate hasn’t done much of anything, but he’s had a lot of freakishly bad injury luck. He was hitting in Fort Wayne before he ran into Everett Williams in the outfield.
2008: Allen Dykstra. What’s there to say? It was a head-scratcher then, and a head-scratcher now. Eventually traded away to the Mets to languish in their system.
2007: Nike Schmidt. Didn’t like it. Last I heard of him he was getting absolutely dismantled in A+ as a 25 year old. Hasn’t pitched this year, and I couldn’t care less. Completely wasted pick.
2006: Matt Antonelli. I liked the pick at the time, and I liked it for a few years after. He was a hot-shot prospect for a while, but just looked completely lost any time he was called up. I think he’s with the Nationals now? He’s had injury problems the last few years.
The Padres have finally stopped taking signable, low-impact college players in the first round. That’s what scared me about Minor in 2009—all reports seemed to indicate that that’s all he was. No one really saw the uptick in velocity coming.
This year, I’m not really decided on who I want the Padres to take 10th overall. I do know, however, that if Matt Purke is still on the board at 25, I’d love to see them take him. I think Renaudo is really proving the value of taking a former consensus top 5 pick who’s slipped due to injury concerns.
by walnut falcons on May 15, 2011 11:19 AM EDT reply actions
Really Intriuing Question... Would you rather have now: Matzek or Tate.
Bullpen Banter's Top 100 Prospects for 2011!
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You can find my musings at Bullpen Banter and Beyond the Box Score.
interesting question for sure
Matzek has been absolutely awful aside from K/9. Tate was hitting well in A ball before he got hurt, which would suggest some forward movement in making good on some of those tools. He’s a walking injury, however.
I don’t know. I guess I’d stick with Tate.
by walnut falcons on May 15, 2011 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
interesting question
I gotta go Matzek simply for the fact that there is a lot more toolsy OF prospects around then tall hard throwing lefties, but both have a longggggggg way to go.
Well, since im only 15, I havent really studied/cared much about who the Angels drafted up until last year
I have been a fan of the draft for a while, but did not really know anything about anyone. I knew who we took, but didnt really know much about them. Last year was the first time I watched the draft and knew something and actually knew something about the players. I was excited to see who we would draft, becasue of all the picks that we had early in the draft. Ive learned SO much more about prospects since then, but heres how I felt about these picks then and now.
Kaleb Cowart- What I remember about this pick is that I wanted Dylan Covey a lot. When he went #14 I was kind of suprised and upset. When we took Cowart I was excited and definatley suprised, but not sure if we would actually sign him. Looking back, I still like this pick, because Cowart has a lot of potential at a weak position in our system, but he has a long ways to go.
Cam Bedrosian- I was suprised with this pick, but I did like it. I think Cam has a good chance at being a succseful starter/reliever in the bigs. Not a great pick, but with a lot of money spent on Cowart, not a terrible pick either.
Chevez Clarke- Was not a huge fan of this pick and still not. I was really hoping for Peter Tago or Anthony Ranuado, but no, we took Clarke. Hes a raw toolsy kid, and those guys are most likely to bust. Clarke has nice potential, but I think we couldve gotten him later in the draft. This could be a great pick or a waste of a pick, we’ll see.
Taylor Lindsey- I didnt really know what to think about the Lindsey pick becasue I still wanted Ranaudo, but I think it was a decent pick. Lindsey has a chance to be a good hitting 2nd baseman. Could end up being one of the better underrated picks.
Ryan Bolden- With Ranaudo off the board finally, I was hoping for Tago finally, but no, we take Bolden. I basically dont have any faith in him and think it was a very bad pick. I hope he proves me wrong.
Looking at the draft, I’m not thrilled with it because of all the picks we had, but since they are all HS guys, you gotta give them some time. Of out other picks, my favorite was Dan Tillman, who can be a good starter, or a very good back end of the bullpen guy. I give this draft a C+ grade.
Lance Berkman= Awesome, CJ Wilson= Jack@$$
Minor League Ball's 2010 Rookie of the Year Poster
If you didn't know by now, my screen name is sarcastic
Rays
2008
1/1 – Tim Beckham, SS: Eh, lukewarm. Really wanted Buster Posey Pedro Alvarez (have to be honest. Didn’t think Posey would be a good pick)
2/47 – Kyle Lobstein, LHP: Liked it a lot at the time, but unfortunately his velocity never got back to what it was as a HS junior
2009
1/30 – Levon Washington, 2B: Wasn’t a big fan. I thought it was an okay pick but they could’ve done better
2/78 – Kenny Diekroeger, SS: Baffled. Seemed to be a premium athlete but he had said “I’m going to Stanford.” Good pick if they could sign him but it was a 50/50 shot at best.
3/108 – Todd Glaesmann, OF: Really liked it. Big, toolsy guy. Bad plate appoach in the pros has prevented his tools from turning into success.
4/139 – Luke Bailey, C: Really liked it again. Hitting decently, could use a better approach.
5/168 – Jeff Malm, 1B: Really liked it yet again. Hasn’t hit a lick as a pro.
Won’t do 2010 since Josh Sale and Drew Vettleson haven’t debuted yet. I absolutely LOVE Josh Sale though.
Vroom vroom party starter
www.raysprospects.com
Mariners
Really fun topic
2006:
Brandon Morrow – didn’t like it at the time mostly because i really wanted Andrew Miller, or if not miller at least Tim Lincecum
Morrow was sent out in an ill advised trade, but has obviously been much better than Andrew Miller. He was a good pick its just too bad the M’s arent reaping the rewards
Chris Tillman – liked it. didn’t know much about him but it was said he had first round ability and was very projectable
part of another ill-advised trade became a top prospect but hasn’t lived up to that yet.
2007:
Phillippe Aumont – I liked it. i really wanted Jason Heyward, but was happy they didnt take Nick Schmidt which was a rumor at the time.
Aumont hasnt panned out and is now in the bullpen. he still has a chance to be good in the back end of a pen, but he wont live up to my expectations of him as a starter
Matt Mangini – loved it. he was considered a definite 1st round pick before the season and fell to the supplemental round. i generally like picks like this because i think a lot of times players fallbecause they get nitpicked quite a bit after having big reps early in their careers.
Mangini now looks like Greg Dobbs at best. could have value but hasn’t panned out
2008:
Josh Fields – hated it then hate it now nuff said
Dennis Raben – really liked it. thought he would hit and have patience. his development has been retarded by injuries the last few years as he is still in A+ 3 years after being drafted out of college. i think he could have been a good hitter but i dont think he is anything more than an org player now
2009:
Dustin Ackley – loved it. i just wish we could get some more discussion about him going on this site.
hasnt had the numbers i expected inthe minors but i still expect him to put up good numbers and be a all-star 2nd baseman
Nick Franklin – hated it. I hardly knew who he was and it seemed like a money saving reach.
he signed for over slot and had a huge year in Low A breaking the club record for home runs. slumping a bit the last 2 weeks but i missed hge on this. i think he will be a stud
Steve Baron – hated it. pre draft agreement that leaked out so we knew it was coming. worst part was he signed for over slot as well
was horrible in Low A and not much better after getting demoted. a little better this year but still a long way from mediocre at the plate
2010:
Taijuan Walker – wasnt sure. we didn’t pick until the 40’s so i liked going for huge updside but wasn’t sure about passing on Allie and Jenkins
only pitched 2 inning last year and scuffled in his first 2 starts this year before pitching a gem today: 6.1 IP 2H 1R 11K 0BB
Almost idential to my reactions
Except I liked the Franklin pick at the time. I preferred Rex Brothers because I thought Franklin would still be around with our next pick, but it ended up working out. I will add I was pissed in 2005 when we drafted Jeff Clement instead of Cameron Maybin
Dustin Ackley – loved it. i just wish we could get some more discussion about him going on this site.
I don’t know if there has been a more talked about player on this site recently.
by TwoEyesForAnEye on May 15, 2011 7:38 PM EDT reply actions
seriously
Lance Berkman= Awesome, CJ Wilson= Jack@$$
Minor League Ball's 2010 Rookie of the Year Poster
If you didn't know by now, my screen name is sarcastic
by mathisrocks5 on May 15, 2011 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Assumed it was sarcasm
"Some field has fences, and sometime, the field cant hold a player, but most of the time, a field cant hold Domingo"
http://www.domingobeisbol.com/
I thought the sarcasm was obvious.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on May 16, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
ummm yeah
this site might as well be minorleagueballfeaturingdustinackley.com at times. not that i am complaining
by VanillaGorilla on May 17, 2011 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Ah gotcha
Sarcasm detector must have been on the fritz
by TwoEyesForAnEye on May 17, 2011 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Rays
2008:
Beckham: Didn’t know what to think. I was new to the draft, but (at the time) I wasn’t big on taking a guy so far away.
Lobstein: Loved it. So far, I have been wrong. However, he is off to a good start, and if it is because of improved velocity, I could have some nice hope.
2009:
Washington: Didn’t like it at all. He just didn’t seem good enough to warrant a spot.
Diekroeger: Liked it. I actually thought he would sign. Looks like it was a good pick besides for him not signing.
2010:
Sale: Loved it. I did a happy dance for the next few days.
O’Conner: I was okay with it. Not big on it because of the meh hit tool, but the upside was good.
Vettleson: I liked it. I don’t think he will be a star, but I do think he will be a good player.
Giants
2006: Tim Lincecum
Really happy, I thought for sure he’d be gone by the time the Giants picked.
2007: Madison Bumgarner
I was kind of expecting it, so I guess my reaction was “meh”.
Tim Alderson: Not excited, I wanted Porcello/
Wendell Fairley: I wasn’t enthusiastic about the pick but I understood why they picked him.
2008: Buster Posey
I liked it. I wanted Tim Beckham, but with him gone I was glad we took Posey. I wasn’t in love with Smoak/Alonso because I was blinded by Angel Villalona’s power.
2009: Zack Wheeler
I wanted Grant Green or Matzek but I wasn’t upset with Wheeler.
2010: Gary Brown
I wasn’t really happy because I thought he’d end up being a 4th OF, and right now I’m happy to say he’s making me look like an idiot
The old draft day threads on McCovey Chronicles are hilarious to read. I remember when we drafted Madison Bumgarner, there were melt-downs of epic proportions (i.e. ANOTHER PITCHER?!?!? AND A HIGH SCHOOLER?!?!?! WTF, SABES – DRAFT A F&$#@&G HITTER!!!!!!!!!). My favorite line from that draft was from DrBGiantsFan, who said he’d throw himself down a flight of stairs if we drafted Bumgarner.
Hector Sanchez: Suck it Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin.
A's
Going back to ’08 only
2008:
Jemile Weeks: Didn’t know too much about him but hated the pick initially, as I really really wanted Brett Wallace. The more I learned about him the more I liked him, and eventually we got Wallace too. One of my favorite A’s prospects now.
Tyson Ross:
Like everyone else, I was terrified of his mechanics. Like the fact that he was a hometown kid and had good stuff, but the delivery scared the crap out of me. They’ve worked on it a little and he hasn’t gotten hurt so far. Stuff looks excellent now as he’s mixing in a change, so great pick.
Petey Paramore:
I really wanted Weeks’ teammate Blake Tekotte, so I wasn’t enthused about this selection. Hasn’t developed into much of anything. Good defensive catcher who can walk, that’s about it.
2009:
Grant Green: Loved it. Was furiously tracking the draft on my phone, hoping Green would fall and we would take him, and that’s exactly what happened. Not nearly as high on him now, he has a lot of questions to answer.
Justin Marks: Was hoping for Fresno St.‘s Tommy Mendonca or Louisville’s Chris Dominguez to fall, but they went to Texas and SF, respectively. Didn’t really like the Marks pick, about as unexcitable a selection as it gets. He was shipped to KC in the DeJesus deal and I don’t expect much from him. Maybe a nice back-end guy.
Max Stassi: Was elated when we took him, and was even more elated when he actually signed, as I expected him to go to college.
2010:
Michael Choice: Didn’t want him but I knew we would take him. Was really hoping for Josh Sale or Yasmani Grandal. Choice has flashed great tools but the K rate is really really alarming.
Yordy Cabrera: LOVED this pick, I didn’t think he would fall at all. Off to a good start this year and may be my favorite A’s prospect
Aaron Shipman: Didn’t know anything about Shipman but was encouraged after reading some reports. Excited to see what he can do this year.
"Some field has fences, and sometime, the field cant hold a player, but most of the time, a field cant hold Domingo"
http://www.domingobeisbol.com/
Cubs
Been following the draft long enough to remember Everts/Kazmir in HS.
‘06 – Tyler Colvin – Grew to understand the pick, and I still like the upside. That said, it left me confused and a little saddened on Draft Day. I wanted Daniel Bard, who they drafted in ’08 in the form of Andrew Cashner, or Kyle Drabek, who an internet friend wouldn’t stfu about.
‘07 – Josh Vitters – Didn’t like the pick, but this one was at least accepted by the masses. I had fallen in man love with Jason Heyward by draft day, as he was the young hotshot HS OF prospect who absolutely blew up that spring to fly up boards. I specifically remember saying “wow” the first time a Heyward clip was shown to me. Other guys I wanted were Porcello and Parker, who the Cubs would have drafted had the Royals drafted Vitters. Porcello priced himself out of the pussy teams’ testosterone range, but he was a truly elite HS pitching prospect from my trashy home state.
‘08 – Cashner – Personally, I really liked this pick. I thought and think that the arm worked incredibly well, and that he had the frame to develop into a TOR beast. It hasn’t happened yet, but in due time maybe. Other first round guys were Cole (priced himself out), Casey Kelly, and Christian Friedrich, who was rising at the time. I really wish they signed Sonny Gray that year.
‘09 – Brett Jackson – Didn’t pay as much attention to the draft that year, and if I was it was all to see Strasburg. Caught on late that the Cubs would pick one of Wheeler/Pollock/Jackson, and Jackson was my favorite one. Luckily he fell to them. I think it’s funny how Jackson’s gone from “raw athlete” to "polished solid regular type. I swear it’s like he lost upside as he got better, which makes sense in one way but not another to me. He’s turned into one of my favorite prospects in baseball. I was huge on Shelby Miller, liked him more than any other HS pitcher, but obviously he didn’t make it out of the top 20. I was and remain unnaturally high on Reymond Fuentes, who I didn’t imagine would go in the first round.
‘10 – Hayden Simpson – I didn’t dislike the pick. I decided to pay attention to why the drafted him and I agreed with the idea that he showed plus athleticism on the mound. There’s alot of upside with him, but he hasn’t really recovered from mono last year. I was really high on Cecchini and Justin O’Conner, but can’t beat them up for not drafting either. I didn’t imagine Jesse Biddle would go in the first round either, but that’s another guy who I really liked.
The '06 draft was the first year I really paid any attention
‘06 – Tyler Colvin – Hated it with almost all of my being. I really wanted Travis Snider. Snider is only 23, but hasn’t had any sustained success in the bigs. Colvin had a good rookie showing, but has been abysmal this year and was recently demoted to AAA.
‘07 – Josh Vitters – Loved the pick. With Geo Soto’s ascension, I didn’t want to fork over the bonus required for Wieters. I also wanted Porcello at the time, despite his bonus demands. Fast forward and Vitters is scuffling in AA at the age of 21, albeit due to some horrible luck on balls in play, while Porcello is a member of a big league rotation.
’08 – Andrew Cashner – Hated the pick, until I found out the Cubs were making him a starter again. If they had kept him a reliever, I would have blown a gasket. I really had my heart set on Christian Friedrich or Reese Havens. Needless to say, Cashner has been better than both of them.
‘09 – Brett Jackson – Didn’t like the pick here, either. The reports coming out said a ton of work had to be done to his swing, and although he had good tools, he was a long way from putting them together. I wanted Matt Davidson. Flash forward and BJax is a top 30 prospect in baseball, while Davidson has essentially been relegated to DH and he strikes out 30% of the time.
‘10 – Hayden Simpson – I would be lying if I said I liked the pick, but I WAS happy that we didn’t pick Alex Wimmers, who we were rumored to be interested in. I wanted Josh Sale, but I knew it was a pipe dream, as Tim Wilken never drafts DH type guys out of HS.
Brewers
Been following the draft longer, but here are the last couple of years:
2005-#5 Ryan Braun 3B – Thought the pick was a reach. Though he was a late first rounder at best. Was hoping for R. Zimmermann to fall. Glad to admit I was wrong.
2006 #16- Jeremy Jeffress RHP- I liked the pick at the time. Though he’d go a little higher. Really, Really wanted Travis Snider for the Brew Crew but he went two picks before. Also, like Ian Kennedy better than Jeffress, but Kennedy had down year at USC.
2007 #7 Matt LaPorta 1B- Hated the pick. Brewers already had Fielder and needed pitching. I wanted Jarrod Parker but the Brewers passed. I really, really loved Jason Heyward and he lasted until #14 somehow. LaPorta did net us C.C. Sabathia and first playoff berth in 26 years, however.
2008 #16- Brett Lawrie C/2B (HS)- LOVED this pick! Thought he was the next Craig Biggio. Luckily we picked one pick before the Blue Jays this draft. However, 3 years later, Blue Jays got their man (fellow Canadian) for Shaun Marcum.
2009 #26- Eric Arnett RHP- Was okay with pick because Crew needed young pitching so bad. Like Mike Trout better and rumor was so did the Brewers. He went one pick earlier. DOOOOOHHHH!!!!!! Arnett will likely never throw a MLB pitch. Trout= perrenial all-star. I also wanted Matt Davidson 3B.
2010 #14- Dylan Covey RHP (HS)- DID NOT SIGN- Liked this pick at the time because of Covey’s upside. Was completely blindsided by the fact that he didn’t sign and so were the Brewers! Might be a blessing in disguise as Brewers should net an even better player with #15 pick in 2011 draft.
"In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the Bigs." - Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker
by prince of power on May 17, 2011 3:44 PM EDT reply actions
I didn't like Arnett but...
Trout is a perrenial All Star while he’ll never throw a pitch in the show?
That’s bleak.
Twins
2005 Matt Garza
Loved it, but was obviously pissed the day the Twins dealt him, and it seems they were right to trade him just not for Delmon Elmon Young.
2006 Chris Parmelee
Didn’t like it, didn’t hate it – But i loved 2nd rounder Joe Benson…..
2007 Ben Revere
I loved the pick. i know he was a second or third round guy to just about everyone but i was sure the braves were going to take him in round 2 i was pretty happy we got him even with a little overslot early take.
2008 Aaron Hicks
I remember being initially ticked off cause i really really wanted Brett Lawrie or Brett Wallace even and i believe Lawrie went 1 or 2 ahead and Wallace right after Hicks…
2009 Kyle Gibson
I actually didnt’ love this pick at the time, Twins making me look dumb I’m sooooo thrilled to have Kyle as a Twin now!
-supplemental rounder the lefty hasn’t even pitched yet WTF?!?
2010 Alex Wimmers
I and I think everywone expected it soooooo i was kinds happy but pretty “meh” and I actually liked this pick more than Gibson from a year earlier but where is Waldo Wimmers this year anyways????
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 17, 2011 8:16 PM EDT reply actions
looks like Lawrie went 1 AFTER hicks sheeeeeesh
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 17, 2011 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Mets
2010 Matt Harvey – Wanted Chris Sale or Yasmani Grandal so I wasn’t thrilled with the pick, but I thought it was okay. You won’t hear my complaining about the pick at all now even though I still like those two a lot.
2009 Steven Matz – I liked this pick a lot. Anytime you can grab the local kid, especially with how rare they are in NY I am all for it. Too early to make a judgment because of the injury.
2008 Ike Davis – I wasn’t a huge supporter of this pick. I was still holding out hope Freddie Coupons would open up the wallet for once and pick Gerrit Cole. I was dead wrong about this one.
Reese Havens – I LOVED this pick. It was my favorite of the draft for the Mets. He hasn’t stayed healthy, but when he has played he has been amazing. I don’t doubt he would be the Mets starting second baseman if it wasn’t for the injuries.
Brad Holt – Thought this was a huge overdraft. Had a good fastball, but nothing else. Early on he made me look stupid, but lately I’m thinking I was right for not liking it.
2007 Eddie Kunz – Thought this pick was just dumb. I hate drafting relievers in the first round unless they are supposed to be the next Mariano. Not only was Kunz not the next Mo, he just sucks. If Allan Dykstra becomes anything at all it will ease the pain.
Nathan Vineyard – Big, projectable left-hander who could already hit the low 90’s. There were not going to be any complaints from me. Had some good K number and showed some potential, but retired at 19 so we will never know if I was right or not about him.
Houston Astros
2010
Delino DeShields. Hated it. It’s still early, but DeShields seemed like a huge overdraft here. Houston desperately needed to take prospects in 2010 who could advance quickly. I could not, and still cannot see Deshields being that kind of prospect.
Mike Foltynewicz. Hated it. This is another Houston overdraft. Foltynewicz is off to an 0-9 start. I can’t think much of this pick with Wimmers, Ranaudo and Wojciechowski still on the board.
2009
Jiovanni Mier. Mixed opinion. As advertised, Mier has struggled at the plate and is repeating in Lexington this year with better results so far. I remain hopeful that he can hit enough to be more than the second coming of Adam Everett.
2008
Jason Castro. Mixed opinion. The Astros have had bad luck drafting catchers (exception: Craig Biggio), but this has not kept them from going back to the well time and time again. Castro’s career has been sidetracked by a major injury this season that will keep him out of action all year. I remain guardedly optimistic.
Jordan Lyles. Indifferent. He seemed like just another high school pitcher with promise, indistinguishable from the rest, when Houston took him here. As it happens, Lyles is a very promising prospect indeed. Lyles is at AAA Oklahoma City at age 20, and fortunately, he is pitching just bad enough there to make the dreadful Astros think twice about calling him to The Show.
2007
None.
2006
Maxwell Sapp. Hugely disappointed. There were some solid prospects I liked better who still available here, including Bard, Beato, Coghlan, and Butler (who has not panned out … yet). Sapp never hit and eventually left the game due to illness.
Padres
I was really tuned in for the 2007 draft, which presented the Padres with a fantastic opportunity to really improve their system.
Nick Schmidt – I turned to my buddy when the Giants were on the clock and said despondently “we’re going to wind up with some slop-throwing college lefty .” I was even more annoyed at Grady moments later when Texas (who, it should be noted, had been smart enough to relieve Fuson of his responsibilities there), took my favorite for that slot, Michael Main. Main’s subsequent disappointment in the professional ranks does not dissuade me from the belief he would have been a FAR better option.
Kulbacki and Cumberland both made me quite happy and I almost started to think Grady Fuson had redeeming qualities as a baseball executive. Then he went all Canham, Luebke, Payne, Sogard, Chalk on me, and I stopped thinking that. I had prepared myself for a cautious approach, but was not prepared for four position players whose most generous reviews focused on “he’s a gamer, he just loves baseball, he’s a guy you root for.” I had really been pulling for one of the SoCal HS 1B at the end of the supp round, but alas Florida and Atlanta got them instead.
In 2008, with three first-round picks and a moribund awareness of Team Grady’s approach, I just knew I’d be annoyed. And then as it got close, Friedrich was there as a college lefty who was seen as a quick mover, and I convinced myself they’d go that route. But apparently he had too much upside, so Fuson/Gayton went with a one-dimensional guy who profiled horribly for their home park and for their organization. I said several things which would not be appropriate for a family-friendly website.
By the time they picked Decker and Forsythe, I was so certain the Padres couldn’t possible do anything right in the draft that I just seethed. A few days later, I’d convinced myself Darnell and Tekotte were good picks, and when Dykstra’s hip issue came out, I was sure that given the chance to redeem themselves, they’d reallocate that money to signing Kipnis (a draft-eligible soph who I thought was an awesome pick in the 4th) and Mooneyham (a flyer pick on a Stanford commit in the 15th round). Or not.
2009, I was sure they’d go Grant Green just to make my head explode. When they opted for Tate, I was ecstatic because even if he crashed and burned, at least it showed someone was going to make them grow a pair. Snagging Williams, Sampson and Needy in the second, fourth and sixth made me wonder if the Invasion of the Body Snatchers had begun.
2005: Alex Gordon – loved it at the time obviously.
2006: Luke Hochevar – was really fine with this pick. no obvious #1 and i thought he’d be a quick to majors #3 starter.
2007: Mike Moustakas – wanted either him or Wieters. both their stocks have been all over the place in recent years.
2008: Eric Hosmer – adored this pick. loved everything about him.
2008 supplementary: Mike Montgomery – preferred Brett Devall. lol.
2009: Aaron Crow – adored this pick as well. hopefully he’s a starter long term.
2010: Christian Colon – kind similar to Hochevar. preferred Grandal but was OK here.
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
http://twitter.com/doublestix
I want to see Crow start too...
I saw him live one time and everything about him read starter, except for the fact that he was coming out of the bullpen against the Yankees. Really strong stuff…I’m not sure who he reminded me off…maybe a tad bit of David Cone but not…not really lol.
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