First off, I would threaten to beat up every other GM in baseball unless they passed on Strasburg. I figure those guys are just a bunch of older business types, so I’ll bet I could scare ‘em. I’m a pretty intimidating guy.
On the other hand, if I were running the Cardinals’ draft, and local laws had some sort of prohibition against racketeering, I might go with something like this. Note that I’m trying to pick players I think will be available in whatever round; this isn’t any kind of talent ranking or anything. I just happened to be awake and bored, so I thought I might throw a little something together.
Round 1: Chad James, LHP, Yukon HS (OK)
I’ve oscillated between James and Matt Hobgood as my two favourite guys in this draft; I think both have outstanding mechanics to go along with front of the rotation potential. In the end, James gets the nod largely due to his sinistrality, as he helps address a glaring weakness in the system. I also like his body better; Hobgood looks like the type that would really need to watch his weight. More projectability and throwing from the wrong side makes Chad James my first rounder.
Round 2: Richie Shaffer, 3B, Providence HS (NC)
I actually really like Randall Grichuk, the outfielder Erik wrote about the other day, at this spot, but I don’t see Shaffer being around in the 3rd, so I have to choose between the two, and Shaffer’s place on the defensive spectrum gives him the edge. One of the better HS bats in this draft, as well as a capable defender at the hot corner, the big questions about Shaffer are where he projects down the road. He has the hands and arm to stick at third, but his lateral movement leaves a bit to be desired. I really like him, and he’s my boy in the 2nd.
Round 3: Robbie Shields, SS/2B, Florida Southern University
I’ve been a big fan of Shields for quite some time, and I think he’s one of the more underrated players in this year’s draft. He’s got a live body, good defensive actions (though he would likely be better at second than short), and a better bat than I think he gets credit for. I’m really tempted to take one of the college sophomores or a tough sign HSer here, as it’s a protected pick, but I believe in Shields, and he won’t be around ’til the 4th.
Round 4: Craig Fritsch, RHP, Baylor University
If Scott Bittle is still hanging around here, I probably take him, but I think some team will like the performance more than they fear the question marks and pop him before this. I love Fritsch’s repertoire, and I think he gets overlooked because of his unorthodox mechanics.
Round 5: Jon Pokorny, LHP, Kent State
Pokorny isn’t going to wow anyone, and he’s already mature physically, so there isn’t any real projection left, but he has posted K/BB ratios consistently in the 3:1 range, and has a nice high floor.
Round 6: Brett Nommensen, OF, Eastern Illinois University
Okay, let me just get this out of the way: I love Brett Nommensen. He has, quite possibly, the best plate discipline of anyone in the draft. He isn’t big, but he does have some pop in his bat to go along with plus speed. In the end, though, I believe in his ability to get on base, and I think he could end up being one of the real hidden gems in this year’s draft.
Round 7: Josh Olson, 1B, Hill Murray HS (MN)
You may not have heard of Olson, but chances are you will before the 2012 draft comes along. He’s a big, strong kid with the kind of swing you get with big, strong kids from Minnesota. The thought is that he’ll go to Holy Cross and develop for a couple of years, but I like his bat enough to pop him here and buy him out of that commitment.
You know what? Beyond here, I would really just be pulling names out of a hat, so I’m going to stop. Happy Draft Day, everyone.
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Wow. Nommensen has a .652 OBP and just a 6% strikeout rate. Nice find, trb.
What the heck is “sinistrality”?
Oh, I’m a dope. That’s RB for expanding my vocabulary on this early Tuesday morning.
between trb and hl we’ll all be english majors by season’s end
Why take another 3B that might not stick at 3B, defensively, especially in the 2nd round? I don’t have a name, I just think I’d go a different direction.
Someone who is projected to go much higher will fall to 19. Maybe it’s Gibson, maybe it’s Purke. Do you take one of those guys if they’re available, or do you like James better than them. The guy I want them to take if he falls is Grant Green. I’ve heard his stock is on the way down – I’d love to see him make it all the way down to 19.
BA’s 4.0 mock has the Cards taking Purke with Turner and Green both still on the board. It’s going to be a wild ride tonight.
How perfect would this scenario be?
Purke/Turner/Green all available……Cards still wouldnt pass, would they?
ehh…gibson’s injury situation kinda scares…i already wan’t real high on him, and with the stress fracture, i’d just soon we stay away from gibson, at least in the first round
they COULDN’T (could they?) pass on all three because they fill all three popular categories…LHP, RHP, and SS.
If Brian Sabean were GM of the Nationals, he might actually take that offer.
Re: shields and his lateral movement issues; must you force me to listen to scouts describe yet another prospect as having “fall-down” range?
Great writeup! I usually only focus on the Top 3 rounds possibilities as that is all that times allows to to do. Nice to see some names beyond that (regardless if the Cards are on these players or not). There is one thing for sure….this might be the most scrambled draft that I have witnessed. You have guys that could go Top 5 or could slip out of the 1st round. This is just madness! I love the draft…regardless of the high bust rates for draft picks. :)
This will get everyone excited, so hold on to your chairs.
From Keith Law…
“One potential destination for one of the high-ceiling high school arms is St. Louis, who are particularly high on Matt Purke. “
Seems like a lot of people are in agreement that the Cardinals should take Shields in the third. I would be thrilled if that happeened, although I’d feel kinda dumb for having projected him at #19 earlier. Assuming we don’t take a HS pitcher in the first(I would love Purke or Turner), I really like Jake Berrett, 17 year-old out of Arizona in the second.
As to the defensive concerns about Shaffer, I understand what everyone is saying, but I think you’re reading a bit too much of Brett Wallace into it. Shaffer isn’t a ‘fall-down’ range guy; he’s actually a very good defender right now. The concerns about him not sticking there are down the road, and the quality of his bat is exceptional. Personally, I look at him and I think he sticks at third; Scott Rolen was considered too big to stay at the hot corner coming out of high school by a lot of drafty guys. However, those are still legitimate concerns, and I fully understand if you care to disagree with me.
Checked out the Nommensen boxscores… Like that some of his best games were against his best opponents. He went 3-4 against both Oklahoma and Indiana. Even though they weren’t starting their top pitchers, still good to see.
I would be ecstatic if the Cards somehow brought in Nommensen. And that’s a really good point, Liam. I hadn’t actually gone through the boxscores, but that is exciting, that at the very least he was unfazed by higher calibre opponents.