Oakland A's Draft Room

I have no idea why people are so high on him?

I love Marrero.

Draft best player available. Not for need

Not an Oakland fan, but the Oakland draft room ahs to think like Beane. He’s really loosened on the college only Moneyball thing but it seems the plans is to try to recreate the Big 3 pitchers and have them MLB ready by the time they move to San Jose. The draft this year most likely will be about getting fast movers who will be ready for hte move to San Jose. Not sure if he still detests Defense but Marreo would be a great pick here even if he doesn’t hit well in the MLB. Having a GG shortstop with 3 young stud pitchers is a very good start to a winning team.

If not Marreo then they may want the power of Richie Shaffer and Andrew Heaney.

I think they go with Fontanto or a fast mover to start at 11, then BPA at one of the comp picks. I can also see toolsy OF. I’m thinking that HS player who hadd be projected in the 1st won’t sign if they aren’t drafted in the 1st or supplemental rounds because of the new slot system.

How are the catching prospects in the Oakland system? Stassi hasn’t done much has he? How about Peter OBrien in the comp if he’s still available.

Some high upside guys I really like at 34. Victor Roache (injury should allow him to fall), Pat LIght of Monmouth.
Someone who should not fall in real life but I guess he does here is Brian Johnson of FLA… He is may not have number 1 upside but already commanding 4 pitches and if you then move him to a full time pitcher and shore up that command he could be amazing.

Mitch Haniger, of, Cal Poly - is a guy I bet the A’s are on in the sup.

With an un beane like beginning a a very Beane like ending

1. Gavin Cecchini - SS (Lou HS)
1s. Trey Williams - 3B (CA HS)
1s. Brett Mooneyham - SP (STAN)
2. Peter O’brien - C (MIA)
2. Kenny Kirkroeger - 2B - (STAN)

IMO this addresses both best player and organizational needs in the organization with a balance of present ability/fast movers with the high upside HS kids who will be ready when the A’s have their long term plans (ie stadium) in place.

Terrible pick. They will absolutely not take a low ceiling player like Marrero at 11.

Here’s who I’ve heard the A’s are following:

Richie Shaffer
Addison Russell
Michael Wacha
Andrew Heaney

If Correa, or Giolioto or Almora were to fall they’d grab them but it looks like Correa is going high.

I’m not as big a fan of Almora.

I think they’ll pop Shaffer there at 11, or Russell if Shaffer is gone.

A better hitter than Cliff Pennington is a very low ceiling indeed.

And I don’t think making contact is fixable. His swing is long and he’s got poor pitch recognition. If he can’t hit in college, which is just below AA in talent, then there’s no way he’s going to hit in the Majors.

He’ll go in the bottom half of the first round as a glove-first SS prospect with a quick path to the majors. Which is not what the A’s need.

They need an impact bat at a premium defensive position, or a high upside pitcher.

I may be wrong you would think by now that Beane would see the value in a GG shortstop if you are going to rely on young pitching.

Why concern themselves about the Colesium when they are leaving it in a few years?

Why draft just for upside when they want to contend in a few years and they will have a good chancw ith the pitching prospects that they have and Cesepedes hitting full stride?

I’m assuming that is the plan but it’s also possible that Beane wants to be the smartest guy in the room and continue to attempt to flip players constantly. How about Dahl to Oakland?

I thought San Jose was a done deal and that the FA aren’t coming because Oakland isn’t willing to pay top dollar, and the team hasn’t given the impression of being committed to winning in a long time.

You mentioned that you don’t think the A’s will follow what they normally do but then say that Dahl doesn’t fit the A’s type player? Dahl seems like a future Johny Damon who was quite good with the A’s.

Honestly, I really dislike Beane from his know it all attitude(2002 draft and the certainty he had that the HS players wouldn’t make it. Hamels, Fielder, Cain were the best players coming to come out of that draft) to constantly trying to flip players for someone else.

Look at who they lost…

They had Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street and traded them for Matt Holliday. Who was then quickly traded for Brett Wallace, Shane Peterson and someone. They then traded Wallace for someone else? SO they lose 2 All Star’s for a few months of Holliday and no one.

I just don’t like that type of baseball with absolutely no committment to any players. That is not a way to build a fanbase.

Why did they trade all there picking this year then? They figured they would suck for a few years so it was time to get younger?

Both Cahill and Gonzalez were under contract for a few years I believe.

I personally don’t see why any player would ever want to come to Oakland without a team having a solid committment to winning.

I just read an article where people think that Cesepedes is most likely a big time trading chip to get a lot of young top talent.

But I guess that is my point, they always have a good future, until the future becomes the present and they trade there current stars for more in the future.

Cahill, Gonzalez and Anderson had a chance to be the Big Three V.2.0 but they were traded away for a more promising future.

Who gets traded next? Cesepedes in 2 years.

Beane said something on MLB network at the Winter Meetings on the first day that really stuck with me. He said now the real baseball season starts. His personal belief is that baseball is about flipping players/it’s about him not about the players on the team wimming.

Better this year or better overall?

Regarding the 2002 draft the A’s did do ok but there philosophy caused them to miss a great deal of player that they could have easily drafted.

Even though Hamels has turned out better I get why Swisher was chosen. Hamels had questions about his arm. Blanton was also a smart choice at 24 despite the fact a slight reach in Matt Cain was chosen next and turned into the better pitcher.

There next three picks were a SS, P and catcher.

If you look at the draft board there was a left handed hitting catcher who was available. He had good power and plate dispicline. Seems like the A’s type of player. The passed on him 5 times after the Blanton pick. That Catcher was Joey Votto.

They also obviously know the value of a left handed starter as they won big with Mulder and Zito but they passed the best one available multiple times. He may have been one of the players who fell due to signibility I don’t remember that far back but Jon Lester was another player not selected by the A’s. I guess he was a HS and they weren’t dumb enough to take a HS pitcher.

If they didn’t want Votto as a catcher, another one was selected at 64. This guy could probably sell jeans but he was in HS also so Jeremy Brown was clearly the superior prospect. Theypassed on Brian McCann.

If the A’s wanted to follow there college stats approach why pass on Curtis Granderson a toolsy OF from UIC who happened to hit .483 his senior year. I’m guessing that may have been a higher average that Brown.