Archive for June, 2010

Mock drafts are all the rage these days, so I figure I’ll try my hand at it. Thankfully, I have the benefit of some of the latest rumors around the interwebs to assist me in my foolishness.

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It’s a clean sweep for the organization tonight including impressive pitching performance at AA and some high flyin’ offense in the Quad Cities.

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As much as it pains me to link anything written by Jon Heyman, he did happen to put together mock draft worth mentioning. I say worth mentioning because, for all of the things that Heyman says that make me cringe, he does have some sources, and his prediction for the Cardinals is someone we haven’t really discussed before:  West Virginia “shortstop” Jedd Gyorko. I don’t particularly think Gyorko is first round material, but I would not be at all shocked to see the Cardinals draft him in the supplemental round, either with the 46th or 50th overall pick.
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With draft day on Monday, the experts are putting out their latest mock drafts to give us plenty to speculate on over the weekend.

• Keith Law is sticking to his guns and has the Cardinals down for Stetson Allie. (Insider)
• Andy Seiler amens Law’s Allie prediction.
• Jim Callis also is staying with his Brandon Workman pick. (subscription)
• David Rawnsley of PGCrosschecker.com concurs with Callis: Workman.
• Kevin Goldstein has the Cardinals taking OF/RHP Brett Eibner, one of my personal favorites, but I know not everyone is quite as high on him as I am.
• Frankie Piliere has the Cardinals down for Matt Harvey, although it sounds like the Mets might be taking him at #7.
• Jonathan Mayo has Christian Colon of Cal State Fullerton slipping right into the Cardinals’ clutches at 25.

Apparently Yasmani Grandal is asking for Buster Posey money, so there’s an off chance he could slip to the Cardinals. That would be sweeeet.

I think they’re going to draft Sheltby Millavinozma, if you ask me.

After a horrific April, Daryl Jones has spent the month of May+3 days of Jun with this slash line:

.312/.370/.404

That slugging percentage is still woeful but it is the beginning of signs of life.  Jones turns 23 in 21 days and he is beginning to reach that point where the clock starts on whether he will ever reach that natural potential he has.   I’m a big fan of DJ Tools and had hoped that all his rough, natural ability would mold into an above average MLB player.   But even if he directly correlated that slash line to St. Louis tomorrow, he wouldn’t be better than Jon Jay (if Jon Jay knew how to take a walk).

On to the DFR!

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What a night last night in baseball! We should feel blessed that the Cardinals options for a CF are Colby Rasmus and this guy below and not Drew “Can’t Hit My Weight with runners on” Stubbs. But I don’t think anyone has called him that since his 4-H days.

Speaking of CF’ers, one of my all-time favorites, and the guy I emulated from the right side of the plate in whiffle ball HR derbys in the back yard retired yesterday, 75 years to the day after some guy named Herman. When it comes to surefire prospects, Ken was one. I’ll miss The Kid.

Congrats to The Chief Justice!

On to the DFR!

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The International prospect market, just when I thought I was free – you pull me back in!  The Cardinals are going to sign pitcher Carlos Matias to a $1.5 million contract.  Matias is already on the Cardinals DSL roster and has even already made an appearance!

Matias was suspended for a year last March after getting his much smaller deal with the Red Sox nullified.  Matias is 18, which is why the Cardinals do not have to wait until July 2nd to sign him.

All the information about Matias is from Ben Badler of Baseball America. First from Twitter:

If the Matias deal with the Cardinals goes through, he might be the best pitcher any team signs this year on the international market.

Now from Badler’s Baseball America Prospects blog:

At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Matias has a loose delivery and an electric fastball that can sit in the mid-90s and routinely hits 97-99 mph, according to several scouts from other organizations. Between the velocity and cutting action on his fastball, it is a true 80 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale, already one of the best fastballs at any level of baseball.

“He has outstanding control,” said Moises Rodriguez, the Cardinals director of international operations. “People tend to get excited when you see velo in the high-90s, but he’s throwing upper-90s with excellent control.”

Matias’ secondary pitches have received mixed reviews, but he throws an average mid-80s changeup with good arm speed and sink as well as a 78-80 mph curveball that flashes late break.

Hit Ben Badler’s link for more information.

These scouting reports are always taken with a grain of salt, but Ben Badler always does his homework.  ”One of the best fastballs at any level of baseball” is something that gets my attention as that is not a line that is heard much in International scouting reports.

UPDATE: Let’s throw an ice cold blanket on the whole proceedings because there obviously is a large chance Matias will not be certified again by MLB.

Since the Cardinals game tonight is as frustrating and long as an AL East game, let’s check out the DFR!

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I have the day off and I have the draft and prospects on the brain, so why not chat? This is out of the blue, so we’ll see if anyone shows up.
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