2007 Cubs Pick Discussion

[Guest]

Here are my thoughts on the draft:

 

I like The Vitters pick a lot! and the thomas kid who looks like he can flat out hit, and in the ACC which is a big plus! Those two picks are great ones!

 

Everything else I think we are going to have to take Wilkin's word on. The second round choice is very questionable. the 4th and 5th round picks the same with some High School Arms on the board, we go for some College bats who don't look all the impressive.

 

Oh well I guess its a push overall. Vitters and Thomas have the potential to be Major League players, everyone else is kind of a project.

 

Donaldson has major league starter potential too, without a doubt. He might have issues with his swing but those sound readily-fixable and don't make him too much of a project.

[cuubs4life]

Here are my thoughts on the draft:

 

I like The Vitters pick a lot! and the thomas kid who looks like he can flat out hit, and in the ACC which is a big plus! Those two picks are great ones!

 

Everything else I think we are going to have to take Wilkin's word on. The second round choice is very questionable. the 4th and 5th round picks the same with some High School Arms on the board, we go for some College bats who don't look all the impressive.

 

Oh well I guess its a push overall. Vitters and Thomas have the potential to be Major League players, everyone else is kind of a project.

 

Donaldson has major league starter potential too, without a doubt. He might have issues with his swing but those sound readily-fixable and don't make him too much of a project.

 

I heard he struggles calling a real good game, which really concerns me if he is a true catcher. Fixing a swing is harder then it seems, that can take a lot of time. And he does not throw very accurately, and has trouble with his foot work behind the plate. I over all hate his pick. If he sticks at catcher I think he has no chance with his lack of defensive skills, at another position maybe he could have a little big league potential, but what position??? Third? First?

[Guest]

Here are my thoughts on the draft:

 

I like The Vitters pick a lot! and the thomas kid who looks like he can flat out hit, and in the ACC which is a big plus! Those two picks are great ones!

 

Everything else I think we are going to have to take Wilkin's word on. The second round choice is very questionable. the 4th and 5th round picks the same with some High School Arms on the board, we go for some College bats who don't look all the impressive.

 

Oh well I guess its a push overall. Vitters and Thomas have the potential to be Major League players, everyone else is kind of a project.

 

Donaldson has major league starter potential too, without a doubt. He might have issues with his swing but those sound readily-fixable and don't make him too much of a project.

 

I heard he struggles calling a real good game, which really concerns me if he is a true catcher. Fixing a swing is harder then it seems, that can take a lot of time. And he does not throw very accurately, and has trouble with his foot work behind the plate. I over all hate his pick. If he sticks at catcher I think he has no chance with his lack of defensive skills, at another position maybe he could have a little big league potential, but what position??? Third? First?

 

Snipped out the offensive portion of the scouting report:

 

He ranks as one of the nation’s elite college catchers and there is an outside chance he could slip into the back end of the first round. He established more of a comfort zone at his new position this spring, while polishing his receiving skills. By most accounts, he has a solid-average arm with pop times consistently under 2.0 seconds, but some scouts say his arm strength is below average and he makes up the for the deficiency with quick feet. His athleticism, offensive upside, work ethic and take-charge ability are all considered the strengths of his game...More than raw speed, he has good base-running instincts—an aptitude that serves the rest of his game well.

 

He threw out 38.7% of base runners. I think there's hope defensively for him.

[cuubs4life]

Here are my thoughts on the draft:

 

I like The Vitters pick a lot! and the thomas kid who looks like he can flat out hit, and in the ACC which is a big plus! Those two picks are great ones!

 

Everything else I think we are going to have to take Wilkin's word on. The second round choice is very questionable. the 4th and 5th round picks the same with some High School Arms on the board, we go for some College bats who don't look all the impressive.

 

Oh well I guess its a push overall. Vitters and Thomas have the potential to be Major League players, everyone else is kind of a project.

 

Donaldson has major league starter potential too, without a doubt. He might have issues with his swing but those sound readily-fixable and don't make him too much of a project.

 

I heard he struggles calling a real good game, which really concerns me if he is a true catcher. Fixing a swing is harder then it seems, that can take a lot of time. And he does not throw very accurately, and has trouble with his foot work behind the plate. I over all hate his pick. If he sticks at catcher I think he has no chance with his lack of defensive skills, at another position maybe he could have a little big league potential, but what position??? Third? First?

 

Snipped out the offensive portion of the scouting report:

 

He ranks as one of the nation’s elite college catchers and there is an outside chance he could slip into the back end of the first round. He established more of a comfort zone at his new position this spring, while polishing his receiving skills. By most accounts, he has a solid-average arm with pop times consistently under 2.0 seconds, but some scouts say his arm strength is below average and he makes up the for the deficiency with quick feet. His athleticism, offensive upside, work ethic and take-charge ability are all considered the strengths of his game...More than raw speed, he has good base-running instincts—an aptitude that serves the rest of his game well.

 

He threw out 38.7% of base runners. I think there's hope defensively for him.

 

I am still not sold I think there were better players we could have picked. I dont like him as a catcher, maybe at first, but his foot work problems, and a decent arm, combined with the fact he does not call a very good game make me not like this pick.

[cuubs4life]

Could not drafting any pitchers be due to the fact we signed Suarez from over seas, combined with a few of the high school pitchers we took last year and in years past? I like the dirrection Wilken is going but 1 pitcher in the first 4 picks would have been nice.

[anabiono]

who needs to draft a pitcher when you have mark prior?

[Guest]

Could not drafting any pitchers be due to the fact we signed Suarez from over seas, combined with a few of the high school pitchers we took last year and in years past? I like the dirrection Wilken is going but 1 pitcher in the first 4 picks would have been nice.

 

Cubs also signed a few Latin hitters - most of whom have looked better than Larry Suarez so far at extended spring training. I doubt it has much of an effect since they signed pitchers and position players in Latin America.

[jaydee]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

its a real red flag when a prospect is compared to vlad guerrero....

[Cubbies4Life]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

its a real red flag when a prospect is compared to vlad guerrero....

 

All of these people against Vitters seem to only be looking at the fact that he may swing at some bad pitches and nobody looks at all the raving about his bat and that many scouts consider him the best high school hitter

[RichHillIsABeast]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

its a real red flag when a prospect is compared to vlad guerrero....

 

He's also been compared to Chipper Jones.

[T2E]

Hey, everyone! I've been gone awhile; hope everyone's been doing well around here. Anyway, here are my some thoughts about the first few picks. Starting with Vitters.

 

Vitters

I think it's tough to fault the Cubs brass here. Vitters is a consensus top-5 pick and the best pure hitter in the draft. All his skills lend themselves to hitting for a high average. He's got a textbook swing and bat speed to hit the ball hard; and outstanding hand-eye coordination to make consistent contact. It's easy to imagine him hitting .280+ in the big leagues.

 

Of course the major question is about power, with the worry that he'll turn into Sean Burroughs 2. However, I don't think the Cubs would have drafted him if they thought he wasn't going to develop some power. He's 6'3" and seems to have the tools necessary to add power, so we might be selling him a little bit short.

 

Still, the concern is that if he doesn't add power, he'll be a high average, low power, mediocre defender and be nothing more than average at third. While it would have been nice to grab someone with 40 HR pop or someone with a big fastball like Porcello, it's tough to argue with Vitters.

 

Donaldson

Donaldson seems like another safe pick with a good chance of making it to the majors. He's got a track record of success (hit above .300 on the Cape) and tore up the competition with Auburn in 2007. He hit .349/.444/.591 and even more impressive was his 38/27 BB/K. The two big questions seem to be his defense and the loop in his swing. Defensively he seems to be improving. Between 2006 and 2007 his past balls dropped from 16 to 6, and he cut down about 40% of basestealers during that time. The loop in his swing could be a problem as he progresses; his strikeout numbers will be something to follow. Still, he's shown that he can hit, and if he can stay at catcher, he'll be valuable. If he's forced off catcher, his stock drops dramatically.

 

Thomas

Thomas' stats were outstanding in 2007. .430 AVG, 50 XBH, 31 SB, 43 BB. But it's worth noting that his stats in 2006 aren't nearly the same. .289 AVG, 17 XBH, 66 SO. We will have to see which Thomas is the real one.

 

The next two picks are college picks as well. Barney is a shortstop with a plus glove and mediocre bat who projects as a utility infielder. Guyer is another collegiate with solid numbers. He hit .370 but as a corner outfielder he'll have to do better than 19 HR in three years or risk tweener status.

 

 

I think the best way to characterize the Cubs draft is safe. After taking about as polished a high school bat as one can find in Vitters, they went after four college position players with solid numbers. None of the college players project to be much more than backups except for possibly Donaldson. Still, value of the draft will likely revolve around Vitters.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

[Cubbies4Life]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

[Cubbies4Life]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

 

I agree 100% with you, a team that can spend 136 mil on soriano, 40 mil on lilly, 21 mil on marquis cant dish out a little extra money to a prospect with a high upside? It was very frustrating to watch

[XZero771679666304]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

 

I agree 100% with you, a team that can spend 136 mil on soriano, 40 mil on lilly, 21 mil on marquis cant dish out a little extra money to a prospect with a high upside? It was very frustrating to watch

 

I think the pending sale has a lot to do with it. All the big contracts were given out before the announcement.

[imb]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

 

I agree 100% with you, a team that can spend 136 mil on soriano, 40 mil on lilly, 21 mil on marquis cant dish out a little extra money to a prospect with a high upside? It was very frustrating to watch

 

I think the pending sale has a lot to do with it. All the big contracts were given out before the announcement.

 

But the team was still for sale when they were given out, was it not?

[XZero771679666304]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

 

I agree 100% with you, a team that can spend 136 mil on soriano, 40 mil on lilly, 21 mil on marquis cant dish out a little extra money to a prospect with a high upside? It was very frustrating to watch

 

I think the pending sale has a lot to do with it. All the big contracts were given out before the announcement.

 

But the team was still for sale when they were given out, was it not?

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think that it had been announced the club was for sale until near the end of spring training.

[badnews]

Why do people continue to trot out the tired old "Tim Wilken was good a decade ago!" stuff Who cares? Let's see... a guy with a previously good record who gets free passes from eternal optimists based on what he did YEARS, if not decades, ago... sound like Dusty Baker? Lou Piniella? Andy MacPhail (Twins)?

 

And the support for Colvin is ridiculous. Colvin is shabby. He's a tweener outfielder, and he'll end up in left, even though he hits like a center fielder. He doesn't have the arm for right, or the range for center, he's a left fielder.

 

Colvin - decent, but not great base stealing speed. Strikes out a lot for a "batting average" hitter. Horrible strike zone disciplin, 4:1 BB/K ratio. Doubles power. Best suited to left field. Who is this guy's major league equivalent? Jacque Jones?

 

And Jeff the Shark, he looks bad. Huseby, well, he haven't even seen him. Apparently no one realizes that an intelligent organization with nearly $9 million to spend in bonuses on two players would divvy it up between more players. Jordan Walden? Matt Latos? Lars Anderson? How about all of them, and more, you could've repaired the farm in one draft. Instead Hendry blew it all. That's a joke.

 

You know "Roy Halladay! Vernon Wells!" is equivalent to? "Dusty Baker has a great win loss record! He took the Giants to the World Series!" Instead of progress we get ancient history flashbacks.

 

Forget what Wilken did last decade. What's he doing now? Drafting guys with no ceiling, that's what. Hendry needs to be fired and a guy who thinks nothing like him needs to be brought in, same with the scouting director, a new direction is needed.

 

There's too many absolutely useless college picks, guys who barely have a prayer of catching on as the last guy on the roster in rounds WAY too early. Wilken will never find the Matt Kemps, Howie Kendricks, and Joel Zumayas of a draft, it's utilityman college stiff after another.

 

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

[Keener98]

Why do people continue to trot out the tired old "Tim Wilken was good a decade ago!" stuff Who cares? Let's see... a guy with a previously good record who gets free passes from eternal optimists based on what he did YEARS, if not decades, ago... sound like Dusty Baker? Lou Piniella? Andy MacPhail (Twins)?

 

And the support for Colvin is ridiculous. Colvin is shabby. He's a tweener outfielder, and he'll end up in left, even though he hits like a center fielder. He doesn't have the arm for right, or the range for center, he's a left fielder.

 

Colvin - decent, but not great base stealing speed. Strikes out a lot for a "batting average" hitter. Horrible strike zone disciplin, 4:1 BB/K ratio. Doubles power. Best suited to left field. Who is this guy's major league equivalent? Jacque Jones?

 

And Jeff the Shark, he looks bad. Huseby, well, he haven't even seen him. Apparently no one realizes that an intelligent organization with nearly $9 million to spend in bonuses on two players would divvy it up between more players. Jordan Walden? Matt Latos? Lars Anderson? How about all of them, and more, you could've repaired the farm in one draft. Instead Hendry blew it all. That's a joke.

 

You know "Roy Halladay! Vernon Wells!" is equivalent to? "Dusty Baker has a great win loss record! He took the Giants to the World Series!" Instead of progress we get ancient history flashbacks.

 

Forget what Wilken did last decade. What's he doing now? Drafting guys with no ceiling, that's what. Hendry needs to be fired and a guy who thinks nothing like him needs to be brought in, same with the scouting director, a new direction is needed.

 

There's too many absolutely useless college picks, guys who barely have a prayer of catching on as the last guy on the roster in rounds WAY too early. Wilken will never find the Matt Kemps, Howie Kendricks, and Joel Zumayas of a draft, it's utilityman college stiff after another.

 

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

 

Umm I believe Wilkin had some good drafts in Tampa Bay also, which werent last decade.

[jersey cubs fan]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

its a real red flag when a prospect is compared to vlad guerrero....

 

It's a red flag to me when people talk about a guy's ability to hit a pitch thrown anywhere. The reason is that Vlad and very few others have been able to carry over that skill into major league success. If they think he can hit all sorts of pitches, that means he swings at all sorts of pitches. And aggressive free swingers don't exactly flourish in the Cubs system. Having the ability to hit anything is nice and all, but if you're confident in your ability to do so, major league pitchers are likely to exploit that.

 

It makes me think of guys like Pedro Felix and Ty Wiggington, guys who may be halfway decent in the counting stats, but are brutal in the rate stats thanks in large part to free swinging low walk taking approaches.

[RichHillIsABeast]

According to the Orange County Register, while Vitters was being evaluated for this year's draft a team sent him to an eye doctor for tests. The results were that he has 20/10 vision and that his depth perception ranks with Barry Bonds.

 

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/sports/419293,081SPT5.article

[cuubs4life]

According to the Orange County Register, while Vitters was being evaluated for this year's draft a team sent him to an eye doctor for tests. The results were that he has 20/10 vision and that his depth perception ranks with Barry Bonds.

 

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/sports/419293,081SPT5.article

 

humm..... Bonds mixed with Guerrero mix would be nice :)

[NCCubFan]

I'm not upset with the Vitters pick. I would have preferred others, but the Vitters pick is solid.

 

I am ticked off about the Donaldson pick. I think Harvey or Burgess would have been a much better pick there.

 

After that, I don't know enough to critique the Cubs draft.

 

I agree Harvey or Burgess would have been a pick with much more upside, I think that pick had a lot more to do with the price tag then anything else

 

And that's what pisses me off most about it.

 

I agree 100% with you, a team that can spend 136 mil on soriano, 40 mil on lilly, 21 mil on marquis cant dish out a little extra money to a prospect with a high upside? It was very frustrating to watch

 

I think the pending sale has a lot to do with it. All the big contracts were given out before the announcement.

 

But the team was still for sale when they were given out, was it not?

No, it wasn't. There was some speculation that the Trib might sell the team if they decided to sell off specific assets, but nothing had been decided back then.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Wright looks like another low ceiling college guy. Very poor IsoD and IsoP.