Comments on: Daily Farm Report 10/14/08

By: Wade

Wade — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:02:26 +0000

Just relooked at those draft amounts … we ranked 26th in $ per signed pick ($131,952) for what it’s worth. We also signed the most (T-1 with Mets). So while we did end up in the middle of the pack as far as total amount spent, the total is misleading since we signed the most. Perhaps we need to draft fewer raw college pitchers that will sign cheap.

But I can’t really argue with what we got towards the top of our draft with Wallace and Nico.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:23:12 +0000

As regards Porcello, it would be very interesting to know just what the consequences of paying grossly over-slot would have been. St. Louis has usually followed the MLB “party line” in labor issues, etc., not just under De Witt but (particularly) under the old regime. To meet Porcello’s demands, it would have been necessary to break severely with the “slot” formula that was out there, and no way was a conservative, Selig-friendly ownership going to hold still for that. The question is, would there have been HARM in making that break? That’s something that it’s hard for us outside the business to know for sure.

The Twins are undoubtedly a better model in terms of maximizing draft value (since, like the Cardinals, they generally haven’t had first-5 choices to work with), and another is the Dodgers. They’ve done an admirable job of getting young talent into their organization, even though they’ve not had top draft choices very often.

By: ICBIRDFAN

ICBIRDFAN — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:29:27 +0000

BIGJAWNMIZE-

Agreed the Twins are probably a better model to look at. The Twins are competative and draft well. I think it comes down to your scouts and the organizational philosophy on what type of players you draft. You have to be conservative but at the same time a risk taker.

ROBERT-

Agree, Porcello was more of a “high upside” guy than Kozma for sure….. I guess it depends what the Cards feel there most pressing need will be in a few years when they draft….. However it gets old watching them draft guys who project to be #4, #5, and bullpen arms.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:29:01 +0000

We passed on Porcello, why not those guys?

By: themop10

themop10 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:26:11 +0000

Comparing our drafting to the Rays seems a little unfair. Its not as if we would have passed on Longoria or Price or Upton those guys would have gone off the board had the Rays passed. It wasn’t amazing scouting that got the Rays where they are today. It was straight up horrible ugly baseball for many years that got them where they are. Everyone knew they would turn it around, no one could have predicted it would happen in one year.

By: BigJawnMize

BigJawnMize — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

IC your are right of course in the fact that Tampa has drafted high to develop thier impact talents. The Cardinals are going to have to deploy a different flavor of youth movementl, but it will be a youth movement. The Twins might be a better model for the team. In that they draft well and occasionally find an impact talent by drafting high (Mauer), but they also aquire assets by targeting younger players in trades–not older players as LaRussa pines for. The Twins are willing to trade youth to get youth back and they love to trade aging players to get youth back.

By: ICBIRDFAN

ICBIRDFAN — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:54:24 +0000

Well yes Tampa is great…… They have done a great job with the high draft slots they have received from being awful over the years…

STL doesn’t draft like Tampa though. STL seems to draft more safely, and I don’t see our system having nearly the amount of high ceiling guys Tampa has had over the years…

1. Josh Hamilton (this is the best player Tampa has drafted)
2. Longoria
3. Upton
4. Price
5. Jacob McGee
6. Reid Brignac

I don’t know if the Cardinal system has the type of impact talent Tampa drafts.

By: BigJawnMize

BigJawnMize — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:05:46 +0000

Going just a little off topic, but on something I think justifies the direction of the Organization to lean to the minors–How about D’Rays!

My gawd, I wasn’t sure about their chances considering the whole “secret sauce” formula–but when you are scoring runs in bushels closers and bullpens don’t mean too much.