In case you missed it …
- Steve Batterson of the Quad City Times profiles Colin Walsh.
- Kary Booher had mid-week reassurances that the injuries Oscar Taveras and Kolten Won sustained are minor and didn’t keep them out of the lineup for long.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America takes a shot at a mock draft for this coming June. If there’s one thing that I’ve taken away about this year’s draft is that it is a very hazy draft and mocks this year will probably be worse than other years.
- Jim Shonerd of Baseball America comments on Tyrell Jenkins’ 10 strikeout game from this week.
- The Cardinals made a series of minor DL and reinstatement moves this week.
Entries (RSS)
Should that read “… injuries Oscar Taveras and Kolten Wong sustained are minor…?”
yes
Interesting that someone told Callis the college hitters may be the “worst ever.”
I wonder how much (if any) of that is an illusion, created by distorted perceptions generated by the gaudy offensive numbers of the *old* metal bats. Deven Marrero, a mediocre-to-poor hitter both last year and this, for instance, is very likely the same *actual* hitter he was two years ago when he looked great with the old college superbats.
Keith Law claimed in his last chat that Marrero simply needs a mechanical tweak to his swing to get back to what he was in 2010…but I seriously doubt that’s the case.
All that said, I hope the Cards do indeed take Shaffer. The bat looks like it may play anywhere, and reports I’ve seen on his hot corner defense have been exclusively positive. But Piscotty? A punchless bat who may or may not stick…at third base? No way for me.
If Giolito is indeed falling, I’d sure take him and offer a bit over slot, either at 19 or 23, depending whether they can get both him and Richie S.; Giolito at #19 offers lovely echos of another high-quality high school arm the Birds drafted at 19 a few years back….;)
The college hitters are pretty bad. Shaffer is the best bat, but I still think he is a first baseman long term.
If Giolito is on the board at 19, the Cardinals would definitely have to consider him there, but then they’d be going under slot or slot with 23. I’d be okay with that with his upside. Think Jameson Taillon whom the Pirates took a few years back.
But Piscotty hits with wood bats bell in the Cape…. :) Just like Brett Wallace and Zach Cox. He surely is the Cards type, hope management learns from its past.
I think in genereal that college hitters are usually overrated.
I think Giolito would be more like the Cardinals getting Rick Ankiel that them getting Miller. Miller wasn’t the top arm in that class but Ankiel was the top arm in his class.
And just like Kolten Wong, who was MVP of the Cape Cod League before he was drafted. It’s not just about wooden bats; Cape Cod League is considered the elite summer college player league in the country. The level of competition is very high.
It was more of a joke. I know the Cape is very important and guys who can hit for high average are important to. But if they don’t have another standout tool especially power having them as a third baseman it doesn’t make sense. Wallace and Cox had outstanding hit tools did well in the Cape and yet here they are marginal because they don’t have the power for 3rd or 1st and not showing the hit tool we though they had.
And yet they made if further than most High school draftees.
Just curious, why do you think Bill Meuller was a terrible option at third base?
Why do you think college hiters are overrated? How do you come to that conclusion?
Looking at that draft, I’d be highly disappointed with the Cardinals if they drafted like that. Leaving prospects like Addison Russell, Joey Gallo, and Stryker Trahan on the board wouldn’t be good IMO.
If Stryker Trahan is alive and available at 19 and we pass, I’ll be pissed.
Agreed…
You have to like how comfortable the kid looks in the box, and his arm strength and pop times are incredible. However, from what I’ve read and seen in video his footwork and pitch blocking skills could keep him from being a viable option at catcher. Is his bat enough to hold down a corner spot? Does anyone know how he has progressed behind the dish this season?
The feeling I’m getting is that scouts think he might have to move away from the plate because the prevailing thought is that his bat is ahead of the defense. I’d have to imagine he’d be able to hang in the outfield with his good speed and strong arm.
Very attractive bat but he has “slipped” a little in the last few months which makes him a legit candidate to be available with our 1st Rdrs. I think this kid is a great fit for our team and I can definitely see us snagging him with one of our 1st Rdrs.
I agree with Yadi signed long term they can take it slow with Trahan and really develop him as a catcher. It’s possible if we draft him his bat may be ready long before his D is but the team will just have to take the long view that a fully developed catcher in 5 years is better than a RF in 3 years.
I’ll be more than pissed
Former Redbird Anthony Reyes signed by Padres (along with former Cardinal Kip Wells); a real shame that AR’s career went so far off-track
Wow, Anthony Reyes? Next thing you’re gonna tell me is someone has signed Mark Prior….
I certainly wouldn’t mind Trahan, but I’d be more comfortable with Stryker at #36, if the Birds can get some combo of Shaffer, Gio, and Hensley at #19 & #23.
I think the Red Sox signed Mark Prior.
I don’t get why these so called experts keep picking 3b for us in their mock drafts. Did they not watch the World Series?! Do they not know we have Zack Cox in waiting. Shortstop is our most pressing need! That and a catcher to take over for Yadi in 5 to 7 years. We must take Stryker Trahan or a top flight shortstop.
Yes they know. They just realize that they are not mocking the NFL draft, so the parent club is not as rellevant.
You draft the best players available based on your system’s philosophy. You don’t draft based on your major league need.
Many teams will draft organizational need, i.e. if they feel the need for a front of the line starter they will draft that rather than say a catcher.
Where are you getting this?
Yes, I doubt you’ll find one major league GM that will publicly state that he drafts for org need with his #1 pick.
Agreed they may do it, but they won’t publicly state it. Even after the Wong pick, I don’t remember anyone from the Organization talking about how 2nd base was a system weakness.
We have been over this Carioca- Do you not think that Wong’s position played a very big role in him being drafted? Do you also think that it probably wouldn’t make sense to draft a fast moving college player who plays the position of someone we have signed to a 7 year contract? I’m sure that all plays a part. More so in the second half of the 1st round though.
Wong’s position was a detriment, not a benefit.
The reason why wong was selected was pretty simple. The guy could hit. Out of all the available players, the consentual beleif that wong had the most advnaced bat and was the most likely to make the majors. This was huge concidering the cards had only 1 top pick in the first 70 selections. To have only 1 selection and still produce a major league player is pretty impressive.
The cards havn’t had a second baseman for the last 15 years. They converted an outfielder to play second. If they were so concerned about the position, why wait until this year? Fact is, the cards really don’t value the position that much. And given their sucess, I don’t see why they should.
How was Wong’s position a detriment? The fact we have been so bad at 2nd base probably played into the fact that this was such a smark move. I don’t think it’s about “concern” for the position just that they can fill it easily through utility guys. The fact that they don’t have to spend 3 mil on the Skips of the world saves the organization money.
Remember the Cardinals have had some players projected for 2nd base that they had to move off for one reason or another…i.e. Aaron Luna and Alex Castlennaos.
I’m not sure the Cards ever projected either one of those for 2B. Luna hardly played there and Castellanos was moved off quickly. They may have been tried there to see if they adapted but I see no indication the Cards ever projected either one there long term.
Yes, we’ve been over this and I’ve already answered these questions by you – so why do you keep asking? I take the best value player regardless. I don’t care if he is a fast moving college catcher or a player destined for LF.
Maybe a better question is why do I keep answering you with the same response when you clearly dont pay attention or dont believe me.
Maybe they should have as Castlellanos is now playing 2nd in the Dodger system and if he can stick there he’s a real prospect. I agree there are very few pure 2nd baseman’s that are prospects which makes it all the better when we get one.
I didn’t ask what you do I asked what the GM’s would do. And I don’t think your right…lets say last year at 23. I don’t think that far down teams see huge differences in the caliber of player. If players are close then I’m sure position plays a major role. Mo mentioned last year the system was low in speedy OF’s so they drafted 3 in the first 10 rounds. It’s possible they thought CJ McClory was the best player available at that spot, it’s also possible, he was close to the top of there boards, they didn’t think he would be around so they decided to get him because they wanted to sure up the system.
“I didn’t ask what you do I asked what the GM’s would do” What and who are you referring to?