Friday Morning Draft Discussion

1. Porter Clayton, LHP, Bonneville HS (Idaho) - his name has been on a few deep lists, but he could warrant being a 1st supp/2nd rd pick. Rated by a couple of pubs as the best prospect in the NW…above even Nimmo (even that surprised me).

2. Lots of guys are getting decent coverage, and I’m not sure anyone is being really over-hyped. Risks: Purke (injury), Meyer (control), Jungmann (stuff).

3. I wouldn’t touch Purke until after the 3rd rd. if I have the normal number of picks - if he decides to go back to TCU to prove himself, that might be best for everyone.

1) He’s not a huge sleeper, as he’s definitely on radars and in top-100 consideration, but I’ve always liked RHP Bryan Brickhouse a lot. He seems to be quite an athlete, already with good velocity, and having come out of the high school that produced Jameson Taillon and Kyle Drabek can’t hurt. May be a tough sign though, as (I believe) he has a UNC commitment.

2) C Andrew Susac strikes me as a bit overrated. Not that he’s bad or anything, but I don’t get the impression his tools would make him any better than an average major league catcher, which wouldn’t excite me enough to warrant a first round pick. Mikie Mahtook is probably in the same category.

3) I’d look at Purke if I were a team with a bunch of extra picks, like the Rays, Jays, Red Sox or Padres. But in this strong of a draft class, I wouldn’t spend one of my only high picks on such a risk.

because of his past comparisons to Trevor Cahill, any news on him of late?

I know HS catchers are always a risk, but he had a really nice showing on the showcase scene last summer, has strong defensive tools and nice power. I haven’t seen much conversation about him at all, which surprises me. (Then again, I really liked Cameron Rupp and Austin Maddox following their impressive AFLAC showings, so this may just reflect a personal flaw/predilection…)

In terms of Purke, if he’s sitting there in the mid-supplemental round, the Rays/Jays/Padres would really have to think about it. I can’t see taking him in the first 30 picks because the gap between his upside and that of a lot of other guys in this class isn’t big enough for me to take the much higher risk load he carries.

1. It’s just off film, but NC HS position player Josh Tobias really stood out to me as a near perfect blend of upside but with a little less risk than somewhat similar prepsters of years past. It does seem that he’s not being discussed much of late though & I’m not sure whether that’s due to his Florida commitment being perceived as strong or other issues (I know he’s a switch hitter that some think should abandon that approach). Some other potential values to me would be Aaron Westlake & Christian Lopes.

2. To me, Taylor Jungmann doesn’t have nearly the repertoire &/or projection to warrant the hype he often receives. I’d say Alex Meyer has a chance to be something of an overdraft too when considering all that he encapsulates but at least his upside is tangible. I’d say John Stilson & CJ Cron at any point outside of the extreme back end of the 1st would be possible reaches in my eyes.

3. I would absolutely take a shot on Matt Purke if the entire situation was researched in terms of health, signability, etcetera. One of the clubs with a bevy of choices possibly..

1. Ian Gardeck - He has gotten a little attention here and there, and he obviously isn’t a 1st rounder, but fastballs like his don’t grow on trees.

2. I agree with Matt0330 in saying Jungmann is very overrated and that Meyer is too risky for me. Jungmann because of stuff (or lack thereof) and Meyer because his control and consistency can be just so poor.

3. I definately would take a chance on Purke in the supplemental or 2nd round.

1. I really like Bonita HS (CA) lefty Adam McCreery — not on your list (I don’t think?), not much velo but has a really pretty 12-6 curve. As a former curveballer, I’m a sucker for guys like this.

2. I can’t believe no one’s mentioned George Springer yet. Love the tools, don’t trust college players who still have no clue about the strike zone.

3. There’s so much talent in this draft that I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger on Purke before the late second round. Why would you take the risk AND shell out first-round money in the supplemental when at least one of Meo, Beede, Stephenson, Ross, or Kelly will be on the board?

I believe every tool guy that doesn’t have a present “hit” tool is vastly overrated. It’s sort of a philosophical principle rather than a explicit example. But if you want examples I would go with Springer and Starling. They are still first rounders but not sure things.

Kid out of the city. Is pretty much a clone of a player stuck in between the Curtis Granderson and Grady Sizemore mold. Supplementary round guy I am hearing…

1. He get’s some love, but i like the upside of Henry Owens, tall lefty who will put on weight and should see his velo rise when he develops.
2. From what I have been hearing lately, I would be worried about Jed Bradley, i don’t think I would take a college pitcher in the top 15 that doesn’t have at least an average breaking ball.
3. If I am the Ray’s I am taking Purke, giving him a number right at draft time, say 2 million and not budge. Worst case you add a pick next year and spread your spending out, or you get a big time talent with some questions at a discount.

1)I’m a fan of U Miami 3B Harold Martinez as well as GT’s Matt Skole and Mark Pope plus Texas OF Cohl Walla as my sleepers. He’s not a true sleeper, but I love Vandy’s Jason Esposito more than where he is usually ranked.
2) I’m really not sold on Alex Meyer from Kentucky and although I love his ceiling I’m not very high on Bubba Starling
3) Assuming he doesn’t come back tonight looking like his 2009 version, I’d still take Purke but only after my top 14 prospects(I have that many ranked ahead of him for my deep fantasy leagues supplemental draft) are off the board. If the 2009 version is back, I’d take him 3rd or 4th…..assuming he is throwing the same stuff and getting the same results.

While thinking about #2, I’m wondering about a few things.

1. How concerned should we be about Bundy’s workload? I’ve heard that it was atrocious prior to this season.
2. How many of these pitchers near the top of the draft actually project as potential aces? Outside of Cole, Bundy, and Bauer, nothing I’ve heard has really excited me about any of these guys as being “special.” A lot of them sound good, but I’ve yet to see projections or scouting reports that suggest that Hultzen, Bradley, Jungmann, Gray, etc. have the ace ceilings that I’d look for where they may be drafted.

what round is he projected to go in?