Draft Reaction Thread
Okay, so this is our thread for the first three rounds of the draft, which will take place starting at 3 pm today. Remember, please be nice to our servers. You guys shut us down every year on draft day, so let’s not do that for a change, okay? If you’re going to leave a comment, make it insightful. “Ackley!!! WOO!” isn’t going to do anything other than put a strain on our server for no real reason. If your comment is less than a sentence or two, consider not posting it. If the server load gets too tough, we’ll have to shut comments off to keep the site alive. Be nice to us. Also, remember, no game thread tonight.
Okay, with that out of the way, here’s the latest about an hour before the thing kicks off.
Everyone thinks the M’s are taking Dustin Ackley #2 overall. Hooray.
#27 is getting interesting. Outside of the M’s, no one really knows how much money the team is willing to throw at the player they select there. If the rumors of a pre-draft deal with Steven Baron at #33 are true, they could have the resources to take a pitcher like Aaron Crow, Tanner Scheppers, or Kyle Gibson at #27. All three could fall to that spot, and the M’s are considered a potential landing spot for each of them.
If they don’t want to go over slot for the 27th pick, high school shortstop Nick Franklin and outfielder Max Walla are both being attached to the M’s. Franklin’s a switch-hitting guy with with some offensive ability and the defensive chops to stay at short. Walla is a hitter, through and through. Conor Glassey wrote him up for Baseball America yesterday.
I still expect the M’s to take Baron at #33. With the way players are falling due to signability, the M’s look pretty smart for working out a pre-draft deal before all the high school kids started demanding seven figure bonuses. Even if they don’t take one of the name guys at #27, having Baron signed for less than slot at #33 will allow them to be aggressive at #51 and #82, and given the way the draft is falling, there’s a pretty good chance that one of the sure fire first rounders falls to them in the second round, if they’re looking to go over slot at some point today.
Should be interesting.
They just mentioned Gibson who may fall far in the 1st/2nd round due to the stress fracture in his forearm. Worth the gamble?
I think so, but I’m not a doctor. He could be a pretty big steal if he gets healthy, though.
Strasburg number one. Shocking. Glad they took the full five minutes.
Clockwork.
Ackley, Woo!
Oh, wait, I said not to do that. I’ve already written the Ackley response piece, and it will be up in 40 minutes. This is a good pick. Be happy.
I am happy.
I’m really impressed by John Hart. He’s like a bizarro Steve Phillips. He’s been as good as Bud Selig has been bad.
And now the draft has gotten interesting…
I’m extremely psyched. Best possible pick for this team. He will be ready in 1-3 years. This is awesome! It’s an exciting time to be a Mariner fan.
Me too. Plus he wears my lucky number.
Not to jinx the server or anything, but I wonder whether this draft will generate the same kind of load as before. Picking second, when number one is a foregone conclusion, doesn’t fuel anticipation and anxiety the same way because the possibilities are so straightforward. It’s not quite like being at #11 and hoping you might get Aumont, or at #20 and dreading that you might choose Fields, while wondering about how each successive pick affects the probabilities.
Interesting about Tate. I’ll bet he doesn’t sign, and the Pad’s picked for next years position.
As for Ackley, I hope that the Tommy John works out for him, and we can get him up to the Majors soon. We need the bat, and he’s exactly what we need.
Also, I get better about prepping every year. Which is also a little sad.
My chief question about Ackley is how his CF defense projects in the pros. I am also mildly concerned about his projected power, but that is much less of a concern if he can play well in CF.
When does Ackley project to make the Majors? 2011?
Ackley’s a right-handed thrower. Does that mean there’s any potential at all for him to move to second base? If he’s got the athleticism for center, and he plays okay at first, I think he’d have decent skills at second.
Over the past few weeks there was some talk that maybe Ackley could be groomed to play second base. Was that just wishful thinking?
I don’t know about Franklin. If you search him on YouTube you’ll see some video. Nice looking swing. But in the field he looks exactly like what he is–a high school shortstop. This is the essence of small sample size, but here he looks like he needs to windup to make a throw to first on balls even a couple steps to his right.
If he has the athleticism for center, then I’d rather see him in center.
Zduriencik just said they see him as an outfielder.
JackZ on the phone with the guys at mlb.com. No promises, but he did say he thinks Ackley might be able to join the team “soon”.
Seriously?
How about doing things in order?
1. Sign Ackley to a contract
2. Play him in the field at the optimal position
3. Bring him up to the majors when he’s ready
I keep hearing this. It’s not wishful thinking, it’s dumb thinking. Moving Ackly to 2B if he can play average CF or a plus corner OF is a bad idea.
Well, so far, so good.
As a guy already playing out of position due to the arm surgery, shouldn’t the team paying him millions have a vote in deciding what his ‘optimal’ position is?
Phew. Looks like everyone is being careful not to kill the server.
There are better solutions to the M’s current middle infield problem than moving Ackley to a position that isn’t well-suited to his skills.
Absolutely, the team should be the ones deciding what his optimal position is. Especially since it’s not like Ackley has spent his entire career in right field, or gotten a taste of closing, and is refusing to play where the team thinks is best.
Please let us find a couple.
How about Franklin? Supposed “solid” defense at SS and a switch-hitter…
Tyler Matzek, Kyle Gibson, Alex White, Tanner Scheppers, Matthew Purke, James Paxton and Aaron Crow are all still out there after 10 picks. Looks good that one of those premium arms will fall to #27. Would love to have Matzek, but I don’t know if they are ready to pay him 7M+ that he demands. I’d be happy about any of the other 6 guys.
Unlike the NFL draft, the MLB draft moves along smartly. I like to see that. (Even though I don’t get MLB network on Click! cable.)
That group is starting to thin. Would Shelby Miller be included in that group?
I’m interested to see how the Ackley pick affects Halman and Saunders future with the organization, particularly Saunders. With F-Gut (I’ll work on that) and Ichiro manning the other two OF spots, Ackley probably ends up in left. Do one or both of these guys end up as trade bait for pitching or 2B/SS?
You hold on to your depth until the decision has to be made. The M’s organization used to have “depth” at SS, and now they have nothing to show for it because everyone put their bets with Yuniesky.
It’s a problem I love having. Ackley, Saunders, and Halman all pushing each other for one spot. It’s a no-lose for the M’s.
Oh, they teased me with Miller. I was hoping against hope he would make it to 27. Now I’m hoping for another position player, either Davidson or Mier.
I love replays!!!!! Oh, um, ya, drafty stuff… sorry!
Okay, so either Scheppers or Franklin will be available at 27.
C’mon Scheppers.
Scheppers, Paxton and Brothers are available for the M’s now…
I want Franklin, but Scheppers would be great too…
Anyone watching the game? Apparently Cedeno is starting again today because Yuni blew off optional BP…
bako got your guy. Does this mean they’re not going over slot? Is Baron still #31?
Oh boy. Nick Brantley. There are going to be some pissed off USSM members…
if Scheppers is still there do we take him with our next pick???
Oh. ESPN goofed. Looks like Nick Franklin
I was worried because I googled “Nick Brantley” and there was nothing.
He must be good, though, if they named a lake and a high school after him already.
“A switch-hitting middle infielder who can hit and field.”
…. ahhhh, that’s exactly what I wanted to find under my teal june-mas tree.
I bet Yuni shows up for early BP tomorrow
I’m totally fired up…my two guys are Ms! How about Scheppers?
This really is a “New day, new way” draft day.
Assuming they can get these guys signed, this is going about as good as we had any reason to expect.
There’s a guy I know who went out into the driveway where his soon-to-be-ex wife had just finished packing up all her stuff and buckling in the kids. As she put the car into reverse to back out of the driveway, he leaned in the window and asked her if there was something he could do to change her mind. You know, maybe try counselling or something.
I think Yuni is about as quick to notice the impact of the cluestick.
It’s interesting that Levon Washington, a 2B, went to the Rays at #30, just three spots behind the Franklin pick. I guess I’d take a switch-hitting SS over a fast LH 2B on the positional basis alone. But there was another middle infielder out there.
I wonder what obscure HS pitchers the M’s will find in the lower rounds…
So how long is the break between the 1st and Comp round?
#33. Steven Baron (Catcher) John A. Ferguson High School (FL)
Going to be a tough sign.
Baron and not Scheppers? Fuck…
Gee, if only someone would have told you that the team was taking Baron last week…
Jack has to be confident they can sign Baron. Cus right now that looks like the worst pick of the draft if he isn’t going to sign……..
You did tell us Dave…doesn’t mean we have to like the pick…
If Dave likes it, I do. When are you guys going to learn?
If Scheppers is there in round 2, then I’m totally cool with it…
I read Dave’s explanation of Baron last week and it made sense. But wasn’t that contingent on taking a high cost high reward pitcher at 27, like Paxton? With Franklin being presumably cheaper, wouldn’t that have allowed us Paxton or Scheppers at 33 and Baron at 51, while still coming roughly under budget?