2011 MLB Draft: Oakland Athletics Draft Review
The firing of manager Bob Geren is the big news in Oakland right now, overshadowing their activity in the draft. But in the long run, the draft is more important. Let's take a look.
1) Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt: Expected to go as high as seventh-overall at one point, so getting him at 18th is a coup. At worst he'll be a fine closer but I have few doubts that he can improve his changeup and remain a starter.
3) B.A. Vollmuth, 3B, Southern Mississippi: Huge power potential and a strong throwing arm. His swing has some holes and he might not for a great average, but he should hit plenty of homers. Good value here.
4) Bobby Crocker, OF, Cal Poly: Good speed, should hit for average, has some power potential although his swing works against him sometimes and he's somewhat raw for a college guy.
5) Beau Taylor, C, Central Florida: Great name for a player. Hits left, has some power, needs defensive polish but has a good arm, solid pick here.
6) Dayton Alexander, OF, Feather River JC: Speed and defense guy, cousin of Shane Victorino and could develop into a comparable player. Likely buyable out of Washington commitment in this spot.
7) Blake Treinen, RHP, South Dakota State University: Unusually good arm for a small college guy, hits mid-90s, secondary pitches have improved greatly. Good sleeper pick.
8) Colin O'Connell, RHP, Cal State Fullerton: Low-90s fastball and decent slider, good control, probably a middle reliever in the long run.
9) Jace Fry, LHP, Oregon HS: 6-1, 185 lefty can push 90 MPH but is raw, might be tough to buy away from Oregon State. If he goes to college and develops he could rank much higher in 2014, but he could also get hurt.
10) Dusty Robinson, OF, Fresno State: Good athlete, has power, speed, solid overall tools. Big swing and strikes out a lot, which probably hurt his stock.
OTHERS OF NOTE: LHP Chris Lamb (11th round, Davidson) is a funky lefty with LOOGY future. OF Xavier Macklin (12th round, North Carolina A&T) has power and more upside than most small college hitters. C Nick Rickles (14th round, Stetson) had more homers than strikeouts this year and a decent glove, he was expected to go 10 rounds higher and might be tough to sign in this round. OF Brandon Magee (21st round, Arizona State) rode the Sun Devils bench but has tremendous tools.
SUMMARY: Pre-draft rumors had Oakland concentrating on offense, and while they snagged Sonny Gray in the first round, hitting was the main focus otherwise, though they did mix in some promising arms. A solid draft, not super-spectacular, but a good effort for a team with no extra picks.
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