With the NFL Draft approaching tonight and a huge MLB draft for the Cardinals this year with a bounty of picks, I’ve got MLB Draft on the mind. Yesterday, I took a look at the 2005 MLB draft for the Cardinals. Today, let’s take a look at 2006.
The 2006 MLB Draft was marked by solid contributions, but no stars and a two bullpen arms that were traded away for nearly nothing.
In the first round, the Cardinals selected RHP Adam Ottavino. Here’s what the MLB Draft site had to say about Ottavino: “Aggressive on the mound, he often has the stuff to match with a plus fastball, a slider that is an out pitch at times and a less consistent curve.” Alas, Ottavino never matched his potential despite a few cups of coffee in the majors. In the end, the Cardinals and Ottavino agreed on one thing, that Ottavino needed a fresh start. He is currently pitching as a reliever in AAA for Colorado. The Cardinals picked Ottavino with the last selection of the 1st round and the only pitcher of note before the Cardinals next selection in the Supplemental 1st round is Joba Chamberlain, who was oft-injured at the time of the draft and has proved himself to continue to be oft-injured.
In the Supplemental round, the Cardinals selected, RHP Chris Perez. Perez was moved to reliever in college and was a fast-moving reliever with the Cardinals, eventually he was unwisely traded for a few months of an injured Mark DeRosa in 2009. (Who did end up giving the Cardinals Seth Blair in the 2010 MLB Draft as compensation, but that’s a story for another “A Look Back”.) Perez has eventually found his potential as a closer at the major league level, however with the Cleveland Indians. Solid pick for the Cardinals, but a bad idea to trade him away for so little.
The Cardinals selected LHP Thomas Furnish aka Brad Furnish, who was described thusly: “A no-hitter at the beginning of the season ensured that scouts would follow him. He’s got a good fastball (92-94 mph) and a hard curve.”. Furnish had a lot of trouble with the walk in his Cardinals career, and went to Indy ball and then to the White Sox organization. Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Justin Masterson were major leaguers picked later in the round.
The Cardinals selected OF Jon Jay next in the 2nd round and by all accounts, he has been a success by defying the odds and staying in center field and improving his play in the field from year to year. He is still a hitter too reliant on batting average and BABIP, but getting a solid major league starter is always a win for a draft selection.
Next, the Cardinals went with 1B Mark Hamilton, who has been a slugging first baseman in the minors, but has been unable to turn that success into solid playing time in the majors, especially with a certain slugging #5 at the top of the depth chart. Now that #5 is gone, Hamilton is injured and may be getting passed by Matt Adams as a 1st base prospect. 2012 is his age 27 season, so the time is running out on Hamilton.
If you thought Brad Furnish had trouble with the walk, don’t look now because the Cardinals next selection in the 3rd round was RHP Gary Daley, who is now playing for Oakland’s system and has reached as high as AAA last year. For his minor league career, he has walked almost 6 batters per 9 innings.
The Cardinals were able to find some shiny objects panning for gold in the later rounds including OF Shane Robinson in the 5th, INF Allen Craig in the 8th and RHP Luke Gregerson (28th round), who was the PTBNL in the another ill-advised trade, this one to San Diego for Khalil Greene.
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I think this was a good draft overall. Only real miss was with Thomas Furnish. Can’t fault the team for drafting him. He was a lefty and had dynamite stuff. They probably saw him having more upside than Brett Anderson despite the fact that Anderson was a HS pitcher. Turns out we were wrong on that pick. Trevor Cahill probably wasn’t a reasonable pick for us at the time only having pitched for 1 year(he was a SS) and having a committment to Dartmoth. I’m suprised we didn’t jump all over Justin Masterson who fit the Cardinal pitching model at the time(sinker/slider withoutstanding stuff and success in the Cape)
I thought this was a really interesting draft for the Cards. After taking a lot of toolsy high schoolers in 2005, they went almost exclusively for college players, most from big-time programs like Miami. Matt North, in the 9th round, was the first high schooler selected.
They went overslot with Tommy Pham in the 16th round, paying him what I think at the time was 3rd-round money. That wasn’t a bad choice; I don’t think his recent run of injuries was in any way predictable. Plus, I’m pretty sure he was 17 at the time of the draft, so he seemed more like a international free agent signing than a draft pick.
All that said, the best 2006 draft pick for the Cards was San Diego’s in the 9th round.
2006 could be a very good draft if Allen Craig continues to develop as the Stl brass hopes. To produce two average to above average regulars (Jon Jay is an above average CF, imo), two solid bullpen arms, along with a 4th outfielder type is a very good draft. One glaring hole, as Andrew points out, is the lack of a starting pitcher.
Another individual who seems incapable of adequately describing Jon Jay.
It was a better draft than follow up…given our propensity to give the talent away.
How is Jon Jay adequately described?
Let’s just say that everybody has a right to their own opinion of Jon Jay. It runs the gamut. I believe too many fans underestimate his contributions to this team. I feel strongly, with Jay, the team is better than the sum of it’s parts.
Lol. I thought that’s what an above average regular was.
LOL. Well then you probably like the way he described Jay more than I did.
Not a bad summation, Jeff, but I think you’re being a bit unfair re: the DeRosa trade. The Cards traded for Mark D. when he was healthy and having an excellent year for the Tribe.
Similarly, the Redbird brass could not have known that Khalil Greene was insane when they traded for him, as MLB privacy rules keep insanity secret — thus perpetuating the unfair social stigmas of mental illness.
At least the Organization has *finally* stopped drafting raw college starting pitchers in the first couple of rounds. Ack.
Richie Shaffer at #19!
Painting with a pretty broad brush there. I don’t follow how someone who seems aware of the social stigma of mental illness so liberally calls another insane. Nor do I understand how MLB respecting HIPAA laws is responsible for perpetuating the stigma.
DeRosa was not having an excellent year for the Tribe. He was batting .270 (about 15 to 20 points less than he normally hit in his prime) and had 63 strikeouts to 29 walks in 314 plate appearances. You’re right in that he was healthy at the time of the trade–he was in pretty good demand at the trade deadline in 2009–but the idea that the Cardinals were getting a player on top of his game isn’t accurate. The problem with that trade is that it was too much for what was viewed as a playoff rental. They gave up two top closer prospects–one who had already made his way to the majors–for a veteran who (a) was showing signs of decline, (b) was not signed past the current season, and (c) who was really more of a ultility guy focused on second base than a full-time third baseman, despite how the Indians played him. DeRosa was a band-aid for a team trying to make the playoffs. It would been as if the Cardinals had traded Eduardo Sanchez and Adam Reifer for Nick Punto for one season. I can understand giving up one of them, but not both. Especially since the trade occurred after the Cardinals’ farm system had already lost other right-handed relievers, which came back to bite them the following season.
I don’t disagree with trying to get DeRosa; the idea was sound. But the Cardinals gave up too much for DeRosa. I was more upset with that trade at the time than the Holliday one. If it had been just Perez or just Todd, I would have been okay with that.
Oh, and this?
>>>”Similarly, the Redbird brass could not have known that Khalil Greene was insane when they traded for him, as MLB privacy rules keep insanity secret — thus perpetuating the unfair social stigmas of mental illness.”
I have friends who suffer from severe mental conditions. The idea that a player’s mental issues should be made public for everyone to see is one that sends chills down my spine. Especially since you seem to equate “insanity” with general mental illness. That’s been them and their employer, and it’s quite possible that the level of Greene’s anxiety issues were not fully diagnosed until he was put in position in which they were fully triggered (such as being the big off-season acquisition for a historically successfully baseball franchise with a highly dedicated fanbase and expectations of championships).
If the cardinals had moved Adam to relief earlier he would have been more successful. The same with their first pick in 2005 and others. Pitchers with mid to upper 90 FB should be in relief. They don’t know what to do with these guys, with that velo they cannot sustain themselves for longer innings.
Their need to make all pitchers starters (piggyback) has failed.
Yeah Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw would be much better and more valuable as relievers.
Your response is as good as any – have to admit being a bit dumbfounded.
Don’t compare pitchers on the ML level to those still in milb.
Who is familiar with the cardinals former piggyback system? Because of the overdrafting of pitchers, the guys used to have to pitch one day as a starter, rest, bullpen, rest pitch as a reliever (but from a new inning). This was to get all of them in teh game (they claimed to develop more starters) even though most of them were before they were drafted. By the time they had to move up to the next level many of them had trouble trying to get in 5 or more innings or they were suffering arm issues. Many players and coaches spoke up about it and finally (thank goodness) as you were taking college pitchers who were already prepared to pitch every 5th or 6th day in college and now you they are pitching every other day? You don’t think that this caused issues for the higher velo guys?
Think yes. Ironic how they abandoned it after they drafted Miller. If you all don’t know why, then try to find out, interesting story.
Without going into detail, some of these guys asked to be converted to the pen, it didn’t happen until it was too late, and then it was to get them to the ML field faster because some didn’t want to decrease their value, but ultimately did. Ott being a prime example.
What is wrong with taking a young and raw young college pitcher? If you know how to develop their potential than there should be no problem.
Don’t have an issue with anything you said except “Pitchers with mid to upper 90 FB should be in relief”. That was just a ridiculous thing to say.
Ok, I mean if they can’t succeed as starters.
If a pitcher reaches the AA or AAA level (as a starter) and remains there for more than 1 or 2 seasons and has that velocity, why is he still starting? They should be in relief, or prepared as a closer.
A good example would be what they have done with Cleto, someone woke up and realized that with his velocity he can’t sustain 5 or more innings.
My opinion is that a lot of these guys developed issues because they just were unable to pitch for long periods of time. A guy throwing mid 90 and beyond doesn’t need better command than a starter does. If Ott was missing that command and threw hard, why not move him to a better suited role?
Cleto wasn’t switched because they don’t think he can start. They moved him to the BP because that is the role he wll most likely play in STL in the near future and they felt it wasn’t fair to him and he wasn’t prepared last year to come in and be a reliever when he hadn’t ever done that before. Essentially, they threw him into relief without having him learn how to be a reliever in terms of gettign loose when BP’s were thrown all of the stuff that most fans don’t pay attention to.
Pitch-I don’t think anyone is arguing with you that Ottavino should have been switched to the pen. It was your statement that any pitcher that throws mid 90′s should be converted.
That said Bob Gibson wasn’t successful till he wa 27, glad he wasn’t turned into a reliever.
Cleto is case in point (as I pay attention to that stuff) as to how some pitchers are mismanaged. His role was never as a starter, and I doubt that he will ever make it to STL. They did what they did for possible trade they may have needed at the time, it didn’t work out, obviously. Why didn’t they bring up Lynn at that time who was a much better pitcher with more experience?
It’s much easier for Cleto to get to ML as a reliever, so that is why they converted him. And yes they give NO instruction as to how a starter used to one routine suddenly has to work on another, no organization does that, it’s a figure it out for yourself routine at any level. Catchers usually help them adjust.
Sad comments above about Khalil, who is not mentally insane but suffers from the same ailment as Grienke does/did, would you consider him insane? Social anxiety, and Forch brings up a good point that it may have really come to the surface after his trade.
I meant Forsch, sorry. :)
I’m not sure if your aware but Cleto has NEVER been a reliever. He has been a starter. It was assumed that he was a reliever because of his arm. Yes, Cleto was mismanaged. He hopped around to 4 different levels last year. He did very well in Palm Beach. They should have had him settle into Springfield or Memphis for all of last year. He was promoted before he was needed because we were in a pitching bind. He has the talent to start. Anyone who is still hitting 98-99 in the 8th inning of a game he startered deserves to managed correctly and not yanked around.
I agree with you. My comment about his role not being a starter is obvious as he is now in the pen. With high velocity and less command a bit wild that is where he belongs. What they did to him was a catastrophe. And why they did it is even sadder, but I won’t get into that.
They sent him to Memphis as that is where the better instruction is.
Please do not act like you know all details like you were there, because you were not, your information comes from what the organization wants you to know and from what you read.
I appreciate the scouting reports but you really do not have any idea what really goes on for these players day in and day out.
I’m confused. Are you suggesting that you do?
Sorry I just don’t buy that the Cardinals were willing to promote a guy who they knew wasn’t ready simply because they felt he had bad i nstruction and a previous level. If they thought that a pitching coach or staff wasn’t cutting it they would be fired and replaced. Cleto did very well at Palm Beach so he was promoted to Springfield. He started to lose his control in Springfield but was inexplicably promoted to STL in a pinch because he was on the 40 man roster. In STL he got shell shocked and eventually went to Memphis before mastering Springfield. He was off and on in Memphis last year. I’d rather keep someone like him with that type of talent as a starter to give him every opportunity to figure out his control.
Adam Ottavino was a failed pick from the start. In what was perceived as a poor first round from the start, they took a Northern kid who was especially young- and raw- based on stuff and potential. I tend to not like that strategy early (I think they should just take a raw high school arm if that’s what they want).
I disliked Ottavino at the time due to his motion and arm action, and I disliked him when he went to Springfield and I saw him live again, and I disliked him when he got to the big leagues for a cup of coffee.
He just didn’t have the control to succeed in any role.
If you look at who was taken in the 2nd by other teams there wasn’t another obvious choice. Who in the early supplemental round has been more successful that Ottavino and would have made sense at the time?
So who would the starters be?
Andrew, thats a good question. When a young pitcher is in high school and is a starter and a position player,say first or right field. They get in a position where they know they will be throwing a lot of pitches in 3 to 5 days. Pitchers get into a sync of a starting role thats follows them into collage or the minors.In my opinion the starters should be the starters that have the most experiance at the level they are at.
Starters should be determined by the # of pitches they have and use successfully. If you can’t help them develop other pitches. why are they starters?
I believe additon was drafted in 06 and became one of the last of the draft and follows as he signed in 07 after a year in junior college. also, david carpenter was drafted that year as a catcher. two other high school picks of note were casey mulligan and jon edwards. edwards was drafted ahead of pham and performed better than pham at JC that year. Mulligan was ahead of Carpenter in his conversion to pitching before the injuries.