2007 Draft Class

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Brackman's talent is cool and all, but is no one worried about the fact that most 6'10 pitchers just have a hard time making it?

 

He's extremely talented, but right now I like Price and Wieters better.

 

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

[Outshined_One]

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

Two words: Scott Boras

[Vinestal]

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

Two words: Scott Boras

 

The Cubs never had a problem negotiating with Boras. Where is Justin Jackson project to be picked?

[goonys evil twin]

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

Two words: Scott Boras

 

The Cubs never had a problem negotiating with Boras. Where is Justin Jackson project to be picked?

 

They've had problems getting his good clients.

[Mephistopheles]

Justin Jackson is no where the talent that BJ Upton is. He's a flashy defensive SS whose got above average tools - save power. He won't hit 30 HRs like Upton might. Jackson is a top five-to-ten.

[RammyFanny]

Brackman's talent is cool and all, but is no one worried about the fact that most 6'10 pitchers just have a hard time making it?

 

He's extremely talented, but right now I like Price and Wieters better.

 

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

I don't know that they have a hard time making it, rather than there are just not that many 6'10 pitchers. I look at it this way, would you rather have a 6'1 guy putting all that pressure on his arm, or a 6'10 guy? There may be a few flaws with that statement, but i'd rather him be tall than short.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Brackman's talent is cool and all, but is no one worried about the fact that most 6'10 pitchers just have a hard time making it?

 

He's extremely talented, but right now I like Price and Wieters better.

 

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

I don't know that they have a hard time making it, rather than there are just not that many 6'10 pitchers. I look at it this way, would you rather have a 6'1 guy putting all that pressure on his arm, or a 6'10 guy? There may be a few flaws with that statement, but i'd rather him be tall than short.

 

Isn't that like...height-ism?

 

Well I'd rather have Oswalt and Sheets on the mound than Chris Young or someone.

 

I'm not all that into tall pitchers (guys over 6'6). IMO 6'2-6'5 are the optimal heights, with guys at 6'1 and 6'0 being cool because I'm short for a pitcher (5'11).

 

It's just too worrisome, for every Randy Johnson you have a million Ryan Anderson's.

 

Price is tall, but I can deal with 6'6 better than I can sit hoping for 6'10.

[Outshined_One]

After them I think Justin Jackson may help us out the most. He's supposed to be this drafts BJ Upton.

 

Two words: Scott Boras

 

The Cubs never had a problem negotiating with Boras. Where is Justin Jackson project to be picked?

 

Correct, but Boras' high school clients are almost impossible to sign. Pawelek was the exception. The vast majority of the time, Boras' guys go to college.

 

Jackson may be a different case if he gets picked this high, but that is something that is worth keeping in the back of your mind.

[Mephistopheles]

BA has a top 50 draft prospects list out

 

Top 10

# David Price, lhp, Vanderbilt

# Matt Wieters, c, Georgia Tech

# Andrew Brackman, rhp, North Carolina State

# Matt Harvey, rhp, Fitch HS, Groton, Conn.

# Justin Jackson, ss, Roberson HS, Asheville, N.C.

# Michael Burgess, of, Hillsborough HS, Tampa

# Julio Borbon, of, Tennessee

# Joe Savery, lhp, Rice

# Daniel Moskos, lhp, Clemson

# Josh Vitters, 3b, Cypress (Calif.) HS

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/features/262598.html

[Outshined_One]

No Michael Main in the Top 10?

 

Ouch.

[Mephistopheles]

I didn't find that surprising. He had really fallen off of late.

[Mephistopheles]

Anyways, I decided to look up on some of the guys in the top fifty I wasn't familiar with:

 

23: Jack McGeary, lhp/1b, Roxbury (Mass.) Latin HS

 

On a side note, if he goes in the first round would he and Harvey be the first NE HS prospects to go in the first round togehter? McGeary is a 6'3" lefty who topped out at 92 at PGN. He also has a curve thats a plus pitch and a developing change that could develop into a plus offering as well. He's topped out at 93 in the past and has good projectability.

 

29: Eddie Kunz, rhp, Oregon State

 

I am pretty familiar to Kunz from the CWS, but he still has not developed a good secondary pitch. He's still a good closing prospect who throws in the mid 90s. This looks to be a banner year for relief pitchers (Moskos, St. Clair, Fields, Cecil, etc). Although I think St. Clair is moving into the rotation this year.

 

32: Josh Donaldson, c, Auburn

 

Donaldson was jacked between third and catcher on the Cape, but his future is behind the dish. Last year he hit 10 homers and shows good raw power. He also uses the field well. He has a good arm and a quick relief behind the plate.

 

33: Mitch Canham, c, Oregon State

 

He has a lot of similarities to Donaldson, but he's more raw recieving. He's a bit more athletic.

 

37: James Simmons, rhp, UC Riverside

 

He's a polished righty. He sits in the high 80s but has excellent command. I doubt that translates...

 

41: Mike Moustakas, 3b/c, Chatsworth (Calif.) HS

 

Matt Dominguez's HS teammate. He shows good power and quick batspeed. While he's listed as a 3b/c he doesn't play third (Dominguez) he's athletic enough to play SS. Chatsworth also has Bobby Coyle who could wind up in the top 3 rounds, as a speedy centerfield similar to this years' Derrick Robinson.

 

43: Charlie Furbush, lhp, Louisiana State

 

Furbush starred in the Cape Cod League and transferred to LSU. Hes a big 6'5 lefty who shows 89-91 fb topping out at 94. He also has a plus curveball but is a little raw.

 

49: Phillippe Aumont, rhp, Ecole Secondary Du Versant, Gatineau, Quebec

 

Aumont is a guy I am familiar with but think he's a guy who could shoot up like Loewen did. He's 6'7" and throws 89-93 with his FB. He could easily sit at 95 next spring because of his height.

[The Q]

Yeah, Cole said he wants to move into the rotation this year.

 

The thing is, he's probably better off in the pen. His first inning was always his best and his stuff kinda dropped off a little bit after that. Maybe getting stretched out before this season will help him avoid that, but I can't be sure.

 

I think he knows his future is as a closer, but who knows?

[Mephistopheles]

i was at the game he pitched 5 innings against OU. He looked fine.

[Mephistopheles]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/college/features/262673.html

 

Article on Brackman.

[Jazz]

I really hope that Wieters falls to us. We are really lacking in positional talent (even though the whole system is lacking really). I won't complain with brackman though, I just hope he isn't another Bobby Brownlie.

[RammyFanny]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/college/features/262673.html

 

Article on Brackman.

 

Can you post a summary or bits and pieces if anything's good?

[Mephistopheles]

Brownlie was damaged goods, at least right now Brackman is nowhere near that.

 

Highlights:

 

- Hit 99 on the Cape

- Hit 101 with Team USA

- Sat 91-95 at NCSU scouts day

- Threw a good knucklecurve

- Hit 97 in the NCSU Fall Game

 

Anyways they made it sound as if his curve was very sharp.

[The Q]

I just talked to Cole, he said he's "only" back to being the best closer in the nation (my words not his) instead of being in the rotation (where he really wants to be).

 

Don't think this will really hurt his draft stock at all though. But still, figured I'd post it here for everyone to see. Especially KC since he has some Rice connections.

[Mephistopheles]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/features/262748.html

 

Top 20 HS prospects at the wood bat fall

 

rick porcello hit 97.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Ooo, they have a top 10 for 2008.

[Mephistopheles]

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewDraftArchive.do?draftId=5

[Jazz]

Man, does this draft remind anyone of the 2001 draft. It's not to deep on premium talent like 2001's, with a catcher and 2 great pitchers among the elite. Then in the 4-10 spots There's a pretty good 3B and then the rest are likely to be pitchers. It still remains to be seen though if Price, Wieters, and Vitters would produce like Prior, Mauer, and Texiera.

[Mephistopheles]

The other elite player in 2001 (there were four) was Gavin Floyd. Michael Main and Matt Harvey are getting that kind of buzz it seems. Ditto for the power arm of Rick Porcello's.

 

Andrew Brackman not playing basketball may make this draft better at the top. But according to the scouts the HS depth is strength. Apparently the first two rounds of this draft could all have gone in the top 40 last year.

[craig]

With Pierre signing and Soriano signed, the Cubs pick up a sandwich and lose their 2nd round pick.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, the only other A player I've heard associated with the Cubs is Jason Schmidt? Or are their other names that are semi-possible?

 

With all A's and B's generating sandwich picks this time, and with their no longer being any draft-pick disincentive from signing B's, I expect that more B's will sign pre-arb day, and that the sandwich round could be very large. The sandwichs may not be done that much sooner than the 2nd round in some years? I'm guessing there could easily be 30 or more; in past there have rarely been more than 15.

 

Question: what determines the sequence of sandwich picks? I don't remember the details, since the last time it mattered was the disastrous Hagerty/Blasko/Clanton year.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm seeming to recall that

a) the sequence is based on W-L record of the sandwich-pick teams, rather than by quality of the players compensated for.

b) no sandwich pickers get their second sandwich pick until all sandwich pickers get their first.

 

In other words, even though Pierre might not seem a great guy for which to be compensated, I think the Cubs might get one of the first sandwich selections.

 

Will KC or Pittsburgh or Tampa have any comp FA's? I'm not sure they have anybody who's even a B who will get signed. If so, then the Cubs might actually be going 1st in the sandwich round. 31st pick could be really nice. Especially if the pick they lose for Soriano is only in the 60's or 70's, and when other teams getting sandwich picks are going in the 40's and 50's.

 

kc, do you know how it schedules? Am I correct about this?