[The Neophyte]

I've been waiting for the draft talk to get going here. But, time's running out, so I thought I'd try getting it started. I've been reading all the blogs, but am not into it enough to do extensive study and research like most of you. I always enjoy reading what more astute observers have to say. So, who do you think they'll take? Who do you want them to take?

I'll get this rolling by throwing out a probably preposterous idea. Why not Giolito? Draft an injured pitcher at #3...that's crazy. Here's my thinkimg. Buxton seems to be the only consensus "can't miss" position player. It seems unlikely he'll survive the first two picks. Zinino and Correa sound pretty intriguing, but, from what I read, may have some holes in their games or may not be good fits with this team. Opinion seems to be it's a weak draft, with few sure things. So, another pitcher? The M's are stocked with close to ready arms and appear to be set for the near future. So, why not draft the pitcher now with the highest potential upside? As crazy as it sounds, I think they're at a point where they can afford to take a risk on the highest upside guy. The M's blogosphere seems to be saying that's Giolito. Hultzen was just the opposite, the safest arm. The other thing is that I am optimistic that this team is on the rise and hopefully won't be drafting this high for a long time. If they want to try to get that future number one stud, this might be their chance to grab him. Let him recover from his injury and have him ready in a couple of years.

Am I nuts?

This post has been edited by The Neophyte: 03 June 2012 - 09:43 AM

[AlMoStLeGeNdArY]

I want Buxton. He has the potential to be a 5 tool player. Zunino if Buxton is gone. Lonnie thinks Zunino can be Buster Posey. One of our promblems these last 2 draft is us playing it safe with Ackley & Hultzen. I see Zunino in that mold he's a nice accomplished player. However his upside isn't that high. Buxton however will be a top player in baseball if he lives up to his potential. I think a player like Buxton would change our franchise.

[The Neophyte]

AlMoStLeGeNdArY, on 03 June 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

I want Buxton. He has the potential to be a 5 tool player. Zunino if Buxton is gone. Lonnie thinks Zunino can be Buster Posey. One of our promblems these last 2 draft is us playing it safe with Ackley & Hultzen. I see Zunino in that mold he's a nice accomplished player. However his upside isn't that high. Buxton however will be a top player in baseball if he lives up to his potential. I think a player like Buxton would change our franchise.

No question in my mind if Buxton is available you take him, but all that I've read says probably won't be. Wouldn't Zunino be redundant with Montero?

This post has been edited by The Neophyte: 03 June 2012 - 11:33 AM

[MtGrizzly]

Buxton scares me - the lack of power he's showing against seriously inferior competition is a giant red flag for me. Those "all tools, no game" guys are what we have the latin american scouts for.

Shrug - I'll trust whatever they do in the draft. They've earned that. I'm probably more interested in what they do with their subsequent picks than the #3. It's wild and impressive that they keep getting the Seagar/Pryor/Paxton type guys outside the first round.

[55panhead]

The Cubs have suggested they'd be open to trading Starlin Castro for two top prospects. I know we all love our prospects, but Castro is a proven hitter with some pop and great speed. Would it be unthinkable to trade Hultzen and Paxton for Castro? Pitchers carry a much higher injury risk and and we have a huge whole at SS. Castro would immediately upgrade our offense. Then with the #3 pick we take the best available pitcher to replace Hultzen and Paxton. If Franklin develops as hoped he can be moved for more pitching.

This scenario is assuming Buxton is not available. It was reported today that Houston plans to take Appel. Minnesota needs pitching more than bats, and so Buxton could drop. If available I expect we take him.

Remember Jeremy Reed? Baseball America had him as their #2 prospect. How'd that work out? I know Hultzen and Paxton are highly rated, but that doesn't guarantee success. Castro is a proven commodity . This is a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush type trade. Also unless we move in the fences, it will be easier to sign FA pitchers than hitters.

[DocMilo]

Lots of good ideas here guys. As far as trading 2 prospects for Castro, how about Paxton and Franklin if you're sending top talent. We have to keep some of the arms.

Harrison Crow did a nice talent depth chart over in the Minors sectoin.

You have to give Zduriencik et al the benefit of the doubt that they'll get the right guy. They haven't really missed yet. Espesially in the later rounds as was already posted here. It's the top 2 thru 10 that alway fascinate me.

[Harrison_Crow]

Someone, and you'll have to forgive me and my terrible memory, mentioned something about the Mariners and the possibility of an selecting Andrew Heaney with the purposes of a pre-draft deal and getting some one really underslot. Baseball America has mentioned (on a few different times) their extreme interest and I've heard it from "other" sources that there are individuals within the organization that liked him a lot.


The Mariners have 11 picks that equate to an 8.2 million dollar budget, that places us 7th overall in expenses. What would you all think if the Mariners drafted someone 3rd and signed them for only 2 million dollars (saving 3.2 million) and used that else where in the draft?


It's a really interesting deal and I kind actually wouldn't be surprised. As certain as I was yesterday that the organization would draft Correa, I do think the organization would like to have a little extra spending money down the way and this might be one way to do it.

[muddyfrogwater]

Unconfirmed, but Jon Heyman Tweets:

Quote

Early word: astros take stanford rhp mark appel and twins take Ga. prep CF byron buxton. unconfirmed but that's scuttlebutt

[muddyfrogwater]

However, for the Buxton fans Scott Schroeder of Minnesota SB Nation writes:

Quote

The Minnesota Twins have been linked with Byron Buxton for awhile now, but the latest MLB draft rumors heading into Monday night seem to believe that the team playing its home games at Target Field is ready to go in a different direction. It shouldn't be a surprise when it happens, either, according to one local report.

Charley Waters of the Pioneer Press wrote on Monday that the team is apparently leaning toward LSU Tigers pitcher Kevin Gausman when their turn comes up following the first pick from the Houston Astros.

[AlMoStLeGeNdArY]

55panhead, on 03 June 2012 - 07:38 PM, said:

The Cubs have suggested they'd be open to trading Starlin Castro for two top prospects. I know we all love our prospects, but Castro is a proven hitter with some pop and great speed. Would it be unthinkable to trade Hultzen and Paxton for Castro? Pitchers carry a much higher injury risk and and we have a huge whole at SS. Castro would immediately upgrade our offense. Then with the #3 pick we take the best available pitcher to replace Hultzen and Paxton. If Franklin develops as hoped he can be moved for more pitching.

This scenario is assuming Buxton is not available. It was reported today that Houston plans to take Appel. Minnesota needs pitching more than bats, and so Buxton could drop. If available I expect we take him.

Remember Jeremy Reed? Baseball America had him as their #2 prospect. How'd that work out? I know Hultzen and Paxton are highly rated, but that doesn't guarantee success. Castro is a proven commodity . This is a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush type trade. Also unless we move in the fences, it will be easier to sign FA pitchers than hitters.

The problem I gave with that idea is Castro isn't a MOTO bat. His defense also leaves much to be desired. Im not giving up our top specs for nice players. Kemp Cano or someone to that extent.

[muddyfrogwater]

I steer clear of the middle fielders with no power. Relying on a high batting average for value spells disaster. A high batting average is much harder to sustain than a patient and power driven bat.

[DocMilo]

AlMoStLeGeNdArY, on 04 June 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

The problem I gave with that idea is Castro isn't a MOTO bat. His defense also leaves much to be desired. Im not giving up our top specs for nice players. Kemp Cano or someone to that extent.

Excellent point!

I find the Heanney thing intriguing. All of a sudden you have Fangraphs and a couple more places on the interweb talking about drafting this way. Take a guy more signable to have more money later. I find it hard to think the M's will have talent at 64 however worth spending extra money on. Players available at 64 are usually getting paid 64 money.

A lot of mocks have Heaney going to Oakland at 11. Almost all of them actually. Most of them also mention that Heaney is probably the closest to the majors right now.

It's going to be interesting to see how the new CBA affects players holding out. You would think more players are going to sign quicker knowing there is only so much money out there. Sign before the money is gone, you know. This could get some of these guys into the minors quicker and getting minor league experience this year vs next year.

[AlMoStLeGeNdArY]

MtGrizzly, on 03 June 2012 - 04:56 PM, said:

Buxton scares me - the lack of power he's showing against seriously inferior competition is a giant red flag for me. Those "all tools, no game" guys are what we have the latin american scouts for.

Shrug - I'll trust whatever they do in the draft. They've earned that. I'm probably more interested in what they do with their subsequent picks than the #3. It's wild and impressive that they keep getting the Seagar/Pryor/Paxton type guys outside the first round.

I'm not worried about that he's not supposed to be perfectly polished at 17. His potential is off the charts. He may not live up to it but I'm willing on rolling the dice on the next Ken Griffey Jr or Barry Bonds or any of the great CF's.

[M's Watcher]

As talented as some of the high schoolers may be, I'm too impatient to wait until they are MLB-ready. We have sucked so badly for so long that we need a player on a fast track to the bigs. The incremental differences between the top players in this draft shouldn't matter. We need to get better sooner. Give me a top college pitcher, but you'd better be right.

[muddyfrogwater]

M, on 04 June 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

As talented as some of the high schoolers may be, I'm too impatient to wait until they are MLB-ready. We have sucked so badly for so long that we need a player on a fast track to the bigs. The incremental differences between the top players in this draft shouldn't matter. We need to get better sooner. Give me a top college pitcher, but you'd better be right.

Not only that, but I'd hate to see the team over reach into the farm out of necessity right now. I'm just fine waiting for the 22 year old Taijuan Walker. Hand should have been slapped bringing in the 19 year old Felix.

[DocMilo]

Wow. Some guy named Kyle on the PI draft chat talking about his brother getting a call from the BoSox. Could that be for real?

Link

This post has been edited by DocMilo: 04 June 2012 - 01:40 PM

[AlMoStLeGeNdArY]

M, on 04 June 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

As talented as some of the high schoolers may be, I'm too impatient to wait until they are MLB-ready. We have sucked so badly for so long that we need a player on a fast track to the bigs. The incremental differences between the top players in this draft shouldn't matter. We need to get better sooner. Give me a top college pitcher, but you'd better be right.

I don't want any more pitchers. I want us to have a young exciting prospect besides if buxton fails he throws 98.

[Mariner Analyst]

For me ... the dream pick would be Byron Buxton -- without a doubt. If the Twins select him (as we expect) ... then if I were Zduriencik I'd personally go with Carlos Correa. Love the comp's to Tulowitzki and Alex Rodriguez. We know that the Twins like Correa as well, as they worked him out a few days ago. I know this -- I most certainly DO NOT want a pitcher at #3. As Greg Amslinger of MLB Network put it ... this team needs thunder. So, let those peals a'rumble there Jack!

MA

[lisa mariner]

Quote

shannondrayer
Of course he does! RT @metsjetsnets88: mike cameron looks extremely happy to be here. he's the #mariners representative this year #MLBDraft

[MtGrizzly]

Strength of the draft is the high school bats (Buxton, Correa, Amora, Hawkins, Dahl...) and college SP (Appel, Gausman, Fried, Heaney...). Going to be interesting.