Rule 5 Draft: Shooter Hunt, Barret Browning
Posted on December 28th, 2011 by azruavatar in Rule 5 Draft, tags: Barret Browing, Shooter HuntIn the minor league portion of the draft the Cardinals selected Shooter Hunt from Minnesota and Barrett Browning from Anaheim.
Shooter Hunt, RHP
The story on Shooter Hunt is a rather straight forward one. Once a first round draft pick, his command went to hell in a hurry in the minors. He was selected 31st overall by the Twins in 2008 and was once a well regarded right handed pitching prospect. He played for the Twins rookie league team Elizabethton (Johnson City’s primary Appalachian League rivals) and low-A team Beloit in 2008 after signing. That offseason, Kevin Goldstein ranked him the 6th best prospect in the Twins system with the following prescient words:
Perfect World Projection: He’ll be a solid mid-rotation starter.
Glass Half Empty: It’s all going to come down to his control.
From 2009-2011, Hunt maintained double digit BB/9 rates. (For frame of reference, here are some control hampered career walk rates from recent Cardinal prospects: Seth Blair – 6.8 BB/9; Gary Daley – 5.8 BB/9; Eddie Degerman – 5.9 BB/9) Whether it is mechanical in nature or full on Steve Blass/Rick Ankiel syndrome, the Cardinals have a tall order in front of them to try and fix Hunt’s control. As it stands now, he’s walked 236 batters in 193 professional innings. Heading into his fifth professional season, he’s failed to advance beyond High-A baseball. If he starts the season in Springfield, things could get ugly in a hurry given that parks propensity for homeruns.
Barret Browning, LHP
The 6′ 2″, 27 year old lefty Barret Browning (whose birthday is today, 12/28) appeared in 50 games last season for the Angels’ triple A affiliate in Salt Lake City. He posted mediocre numbers overall but has shown a typical platoon split with higher strikeout rates and lower walk rates against left handed hitters.
This pickup is in a similar vein to Raul Valdes in 2010. The St. Louis bullpen is currently slated to have Marc Rzepczynski and JC Romero acting as lefties with Browning, minor leaguers Nick Additon and Sam Freeman ready to be called up from Memphis.
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Thanks for the posts, Azru, greatly appreciated. I like both picks. Obviously low risk being in the minor league portion of the draft but both could help. I remember reading things on Hunt in the ’08 draft and looks like he has a long ways to go still but could potentially be a high reward guy if things “click” for him. After 4 years it seems unlikely though. Browning obviously gives the Cardinals another lefty reliever at a high level which is likely the weakest position in the whole system depth wise. However, don’t see him contributing in St. Louis in the near or long-term future but is an arm that is needed imo.
Every time I think of these two picks I shake my head and the concussion symptoms return. What a waste of time. This is the best we could do?!
Its the rule 5 draft, what do you expect? Dan uggla? Johan Santana, or Shane Victarino? More likely to win the power ball
Along with the listed Browning, Additon and Freeman as potential backup lefthanded relievers, I think Gast has to be included, even though they are attempting to see if he can continue as a starter.
Another possibility is Swindle. Finally by 2013 I would think Lyons and Wright will be ready for one of the two lefty reliever slots, particularly if Scrabble then gets a shot at being a starter.
+1 on Gast.
Nick Additon’s splits do not show a special ability to get LHB batters out; IMO, he is not therefore a candidate for the bullpen. In other words, if he’s not a LOOGY candidate, there is no reason why we should prefer him over other, better RH relief options.
Additon’s hope to make the majors is as a soft-tossing 5th starter, after Westbrook and Lohse leave.
love the picks. I think they pay like $5-$10K per player here. Even if the likelihood of Hunt turning into a a 4/5 starter is 5% it is still a no doubt investment. Hell, I wish they would have made a trade for Aaron Poreda and picked him up as well.
After freshman year not pitching as much as he felt he should be, Hunt left a much stronger conference (ACC) to go to Tulane. I heard he didn’t care for the pitching coach, others say he wanted less bench time.
I saw him at the cape, never understood the first round pick. I wonder if that would have happened pitching in the ACC.
Maybe Martinez can help him figure things out.
As far as lefties, keep in mind that Gorgen will be returning.
But Gorgen is a righty.
oops, you are right, must be because he is a softer tosser, I was thinking lefty.
NcGregor will be returning too.
So many righties, will be interesting to see who stays and who goes.