We’re going to do a Q&A if you will for some questions on the draft. Leave your questions in the comments and on Monday, I’ll go through and have our draft gurus (erik, fewgoodcards, picklefork) respond with their wealth of knowledge. The questions can be related to the Cardinals draft or a few to just general draft questions. Then later next week we’ll post the responses!
We’re also planning on having an open chat on the draft day (at least day one) so be sure to stop by then.
Entries (RSS)
Two questions about general draft philosphy:
1) What do you think about teams being able to trade draft picks? How would this affect MLB as a whole and how would it affect the Cards?
2) What do you think about a College only rule being implemented, similar to the NBA’s “one and done” philosophy where MLB teams could only draft players two years removed from High School (Juniors and up), or something similar?
1. Although Tyler Greene has improved lately, middle infield seems to be a glaring hole in our system. If Grant Green (who is said to be slipping) falls to the Cardinals, do we pull the trigger? I understand its too early to pass judgment on Kozma, Descalso and Vasquez, but eventually this needs to be addressed.
2. If we take a LHP, whom would you most like to see us take?
What do you think the ramifications would be if the rules were changed to more of an NFL/NBA style draft where you have to declare for the draft? I realize that there would be NCAA challenges … (1) high schoolers, (2) college juniors that declare and decide not to sign would have to go to indy ball. What are the pros to this and what other cons do you see (I see others but don’t want to give you everything)?
(feel free to edit that to not make it so long)
After the way most free agents were treated this year due to draft pick compensation, where do you stand on the issue? Should draft pick compensation go away for Type As or do you have any ideas on a way to alter it a little?
Do you think that the farm system now has enough depth that it would be a good strategy to draft players in rounds 1-3 that have high upside but might be difficult or even not possible to sign? It is my understanding that if you do not sign a player drafted in the first 3 rounds you receive a compensation pick the next year, which pick is one pick late than where you picked the unsigned player. It seems that quite often players that are alleged to have signability problems end up signing as long as they receive more money than the alleged slot money. If such players with high upside are able to be signed, GREAT, if not then you get the comp pick in next year’s draft. This is where the question of being able to have enough depth that you can afford to lose a pick in the rounds 1,2,and/or 3 comes into question.
Additionally, if you drafted such high upside players and realized prior to July 3rd that any of such players were probably going to be unsignable, you could then slide the money allocated to the unsignable player to a Latin American free agent, thus keeping the flow of talent coming in future years. Your thoughts please on such a strategy.
Of course, a similar but reverse strategy, might be to draft and sign the solid college picks for which the Cards seem to gravitate in rounds 1-3, which really builds your depth, while not often generating high upside players, and then reach for the high upside/difficult sign players, on whom teams have passed, in rounds 4 and later and pay them the money necessary to sign them. I have been following the draft and minor league player development for years and in the last years in which Theo Epstein has been the GM for the Red Sox they have been doing this close to perfection and have been acquiring some stud prospects in rounds 4 and later.
If you could pick a theme song for STL’s draft this year (or STL’s draft philosophy as a whole if you prefer), what would it be?
If you had your choice between paying over slot on a HS pitcher (let’s say he’s wanting 4 mil) or paying 1.75 (roughly 500k more than our record bonus right now) for a July 2 guy, what would you choose?
Since it has been over 8 years since the cards have taken a high school pitcher in the 1 round, would you take one now since there are many of them probably falling around our area?
also anyone know what the deal is on nick addition? is he hurt? he hasnt pitched since may 19th.
A few comments and questions:
1) I think in Round 1 you “should” take the best player available no matter the position, age, college/high school. With that said I also think if you have 2 players with very similar grades then you should take a look at the organizational needs and how deep the draft is in quality players at the positions of the 2 players. I personally think our system is lacking in upper tier pitching talent and MI talent. We have depth at OF, 3B, 1B, C, and bullpen type talent. I would like to see us take the best (and highest upside) SP that is available at #19. But if Grant Green falls to #19 (which I personally don’t think will happen) then I say you snag him. Scouts are mixed on if they think he can remain at SS but personally I think he can.
2) Now to the questions. How would you rank the Top 5 LHP in this draft?
3) What is the likelyhood that any of these SS drop to us at the second round (Pick #67): Mychal Givens (Plant HS), Jiovanni Mier (Bonita HS) and Nick Franklin (Lake Brantley HS)? If Rich Poythress is available at #67 do you take him? Is there any chance Tim Wheeler is still available at #67?
4) Is these players were available at #19 who would you pick of the group: Rex Brothers, Matt Purke, Grant Green, Shelby Miller and Mike Leake?
I personally hope we get one of these players with our first pick: Grant Green, Rex Brothers or Matt Purke.
Most rankings are done by overall talent, but how what would your rankings be for the top 10 at each position? Players can be ranked in multiple positions if there is not a consensus that they can stay at their current position.
Every year it seems that a couple of highly regarded picks don’t get drafted at all due to signability questions. Any chance the Cardinals use some late round (say 40+) pick on any of those types? I’d have to believe the chance of those players changing their mind and agreeing to something less than what they indicated pre-draft is at least as great as finding a quality major leaguer in those rounds.
Any chance any of the following might make it to the Cards second round pick?:
Garrett Gould
David Renfroe
Bryan Berglund
I really wish we had a supplemental round pick. We’re almost missing out on an entire round.
I don’t know if you check out Andy Seiler’s MLB Draft Blog or not, but its a great site that I have been enjoying preparing myself for the draft. But, my question, yesterday he listed some MI that are rising and falling. He listed the 2B for Minnesota, Derek McCallum.
Do you think that if Derek is still there in the 3rd, that the Cards would draft him? Or would it be a reach to try and get him in the 2nd?
Now that the College World Series is about to get underway, who are some of the lesser known (maybe non-first round types) that we should try to watch?
Everything else being equal, would you prefer a guy with a long track record of excellence who fell back to the pack in the last year prior to the draft, or a late-bloomer who comes out nowhere to put himself in the conversation?